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ISLAM, 

TURKEY, 
and ARMENIA, 

AND 

HOW THEY HAPPENED. 



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By SADIK SHAHID BEY. 



TURKISH 

MYSTERIES 

UNVEILED. 




2m TWO COPIES RECEIVED- 



8218 

COPYRIGHT APRIL, 1898. 



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PRESS OF 

C. B. WOODWARD COMPANY, 

ST. LOUIS. 



DEDICATION. 



This book is gratefully dedicated to my precious 
mother in far-away Armenia, who possesses my 
devoted filial love and efforts, 



PREFACE. 



The frequent requests of many friends, and also realization 
of the need of a fuller account of the Turkish and Armenian 
question, have led to the publication of this book. 

The object is to understand the life of Mohamet, "The 
Prophet;" the Koran and its teachings; Islam and its power 
over Church and State; the Sultan and the Palace; the 
school and home life of the Turks; also the origin and life of 
the Armenians, and the causes of the repeated massacres and 
their results. 

The facts give-n in this book are of the interior of the Empire. 
Many of the books about Turkey and Armenia are written by 
men who have made short visits to or lived in the sea-coast 
cities, writing of what they saw there, which is far from the 
real Turkish life and practice. The typical Turkish life can not 
be seen in the sea-coast cities— as Constantinople, Smyrna, Bey- 
rout, Jaffa, etc. -which have slowly lost their originalities 
through constant contact with Europeans and Americans, who 
are always present as missionaries and merchants, and visitors 
in great numbers. 

Very few travelers undertake to enter the interior of the 
Empire. Such parties pass rapidly, and as a rule are guided by 
Turkish Zabteyahs and are led to the most favorable cities, 
where the Turkish authorities are prepared to give them a 
favorable impression. Thus these travelers can know but little 
about the real situation. 

Names of persons and places of events are withheld, lest 
they cause greater suffering and death to innocent ones. 

The attitude of this book toward the Turk is as charitable as 

the facts could possibly permit. 

The Author. 



EIGHT COMMANDMENTS OF THE KORAN 
CONCERNING CHRISTIANS. 

(THE ARABIC INSCRIPTION ON THB NEXT PAGE.) 



(1.) "They are surely infidels, who say, Verily 
God is Christ the son of Mary." (Koran, Chap. V.) 

( 2 . ) * * O true believers , take not the Jews or Chris- 
tians for your friends: they are friends the one to 
the other ; but whoso among you taketh them for his 
friends, he is surely one of them." (Chap. V.) 

(3.) "War is enjoined you against the infidels; 
but this is hateful unto you; yet perchance ye hate a 
thing which is better for you, and perchance you love 
a thing which is worse for you; but God knoweth, 
and ye know not." (Chap. II.) 

(4.) "Fight therefore against them, until there 
be no temptation to idolatry, and the religion be 
God's." (Chap. II.) 

(5.) "Fight against the friends of Satan, for the 
stratagem of Satan is weak." (Chap. IV.) 

(6.) "And when the months wherein ye are not 
allowed to attack them shall be past, kill the idolaters 
wheresoever ye shall find them, and take them pris- 
oners, and besiege them, and lay wait for them in 
every convenient place." (Chap. IX.) 

(7.) "When ye encounter the unbelievers, strike 
off their heads, until ye have made a great slaughter 
among them." (Chap. XL VII. ) 

(8.) "Ye are also forbidden to take to wife free 
women who are married, except those women whom 
your right hand shall possess as slaves. This is 
ordained you from God. " (Chap. IV. ) 



THE ARABIC FORMULA OF THE MOHAM- 
ET AN CREED. 

"There is no Deity but Allah and 
Mohamet is the apostle of Allah." 




EIGHT COMMANDMENTS OF THE KORAN 
CONCERNING THE CHRISTIANS. 

(IN ARABIC.) 









atfj&M '&**&>& wJ&& & 















For the translation see the reverse page. 



The diagram of six great massacres of Christians 
which took place in Turkey within less than seventy- 
five years. Every one of these massacres was planned 
and ordered by the Turkish Government. 

1822. Greeks, especially in Scio (Chios) by Sultan Mah- 

moud, the grandfather of the present Sultan 50,000 

1850. Nestorians and Armenians in Kurdistan, by Sultan 

Mejit, the father of the present Sultan 10,000 

I860, Maromtes and Syrians, in Syria, by the same 11,000 

1876. Bulgarians by Sultan Aziz, the uncle of the present 

Sultan 15,000 

1894. Armenians at Sassoun, by Sultan Hamid II 10,000 

1895. Armenians, in six provinces, by the same 90,000 



SEVENTY-NINTH PSALM IN ARMENIAN. 

(An Armenian mother, writing to her son in the 
United States, requested him to read the seventy-ninth 
Psalm in order to know of the situation in Armenia. ) 

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See also page 222. 



CHAPTER I. 

The Beginning of Islam or Mohametanism. 

mohamet, the founder of islam. 

1. The parentage and traditions about the birth 
of Mohamet. — Mohamet was born in Mecca, Arabia, 
569 A.D., of a noted parentage belonging to the tribe 
of Koreish. His father was called Abdullah "the 
Servant of Allah" (God), and his mother Emineh, 
"the faithful woman." So remarkable was Abdullah 
for his personal beauty and other qualities that, 
according to the Arabic traditions, on the day of his 
marriage with Emineh 200 virgins of the tribe of 
Koreish died of broken hearts. 

Mohamet was the only child of this most envied 
family. His birth is related to accompany wonder- 
ful events. At the moment of his coming into the 
world a heavenly light enlightened the surrounding 
regions, and the new-born babe, raising his eyes 
to heaven, exclaimed: "Allahu ekber; la ilahe fllal- 
lah, ve enna resuluhu." "Allah is the greatest; 
there is no deity but Allah, and I am his apostle." 
In that remarkable night the sacred fire of Zoroaster, 
which, under the care of Persian magi had burnt 
without ceasing for more than a thousand years, was 
said to have been extinguished suddenly, and all 
the idols in the world and the demons among the 
stars fell down. The river Tigris bursting its bounds, 

11 



12 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

overflowed the neighboring lands; the palace of 
the Persian monarch shook to its foundation, several 
of its towers falling down, and the Judge of Persia 
saw in his dream a ferocious camel conquered by 
an Arabian courser. 

2. The Childhood of Mohamet. His father died 
either before or shortly after his birth ; and the child 
when two months old was given by his relatives, 
after the fashion of the land, to a Bedouin nurse to 
be fostered in genuine desert life. On their journey 
from the city of Mecca to the tent of the nurse, the 
tradition says the animal which bore the babe, be- 
coming endowed with speech, proclaimed aloud that 
it bore on its back the greatest of the Prophets and 
the favorite of Allah. The flocks of sheep and cattle 
bowed to him as he passed by, and the moon stooped 
towards him when he was gazing at it in his cradle. 

He could stand alone, the tradition continues to 
say, when three months old ; run abroad when seven ; 
at eight months he could speak so intelligibly and 
fluently as to astonish all his hearers. At the age of 
three years, when he was playing in the field with the 
children of the nurse, two bright angels appeared 
before them, and taking hold of Mohamet laid him 
gently upon the ground, and opened his breast with- 
out causing any pain, and taking forth his heart 
washed it with snow from all impurities originated 
from Adam's sin, and after filling it with faith and 
wisdom and prophetic light replaced it in his bosom. 
Mohamet in his later life used to show the crescent- 
shaped scar of that angelic operation to his followers, 



MOHAMET, THE FOUNDER OF ISLAM. 13 

who afterwards gave it the title of "the Seal of Proph- 
ecy." His nurse and her husband being fright- 
ened at this event, which they thought to be an 
epileptic fit caused by demons, could not dare to keep 
the child any longer, so took him back to his kindred. 

When six years old he lost his mother also, and 
was adopted by his grandfather, who died in two years, 
when the child was taken and protected by his uncle. 
It is supposed that the favorable disposition of the 
Mohametan law in regard to the widows' and orphans' 
rights was the result of this early bereavement of his 
parents and of the experience of an orphan's hard life. 

3. The Young Mohamet and his Environment. 
In the house of his uncle, who was a wealthy mer- 
chant, and at the same time the chief guardian of the 
Kabeh — the most sacred temple of the Arab races 
from times immemorial — Mohamet was in contact with 
the commercial and religious leaders. The unceas- 
ing arrival and departure of the pilgrims from all 
parts of the land, and of commercial caravans from 
the southern and northern districts, caused Mecca to 
be the seat of a perpetual fair, where, besides the 
commercial enterprises, the popular traditions of 
Arabs were recited and various religions were dis- 
cussed and enforced, and the heroism of the ancient 
chiefs and the beauty of fair women were sung by 
celebrated poets, and poetic contests were held before 
the people, and the poems to which the prize was 
awarded were re-written in golden characters and 
suspended in the Kabeh. All these were exciting 
events for the young Mohamet and carried his 



14 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

imagination to other parts of the country. At his 
youthful age and upon his hearty requests his uncle 
permitted him to accompany some of these caravans 
in their slow but delightful journeys. The careful 
observations he made on his way and the interesting 
tales he heard during his travels, and especially the 
free and detailed conversations he had with some 
Nestorian Christian monks residing in a secluded con- 
vent, which, being on the way of these caravans, 
showed great hospitality to them during their jour- 
neys from and to home, and other such coincidences, 
induced the mind of Mohamet to reform the paganish 
religions of his race by establishing a better system 
more similar to their original faith supposed to be 
founded by Abraham and Ishmael, the ancestors of 
the Arabian races. He was not in favor with the 
doctrines and practices of Christianity which was 
divided into various sects, all conflicting with each 
other and none corresponding with the primitive 
simplicity of the Apostolic church. He felt much 
opposition against Judaism of his time and country, 
calling it a subversion of the ancient religion of 
Israel, which he mentions very frequently in his later 
teachings. 

4. The Beginning of the Mohametan Religion. 
While forming the design of a new religious system 
Mohamet was for years in the habit of retiring to a 
cave not very far from Mecca, and there spending days 
and weeks in silent meditation. According to some 
historians his isolation in that cave was not altogether 
for thoughtful planning, but was due to epileptic fits 



MOHAMET, THE FOUNDER OF ISLAM. 15 

to which he was a victim from his childhood. The 
important crisis having at last arrived — not before his 
fortieth year, however — he supposed or pretended to 
have received the first divine communication in the 
solitude of the cave, where the archangel Gabriel 
appeared to him in human form, with a written rev- 
elation in his hand, which was in Arabic, and giving 
it to him commanded him to "read." Mohamet, his 
followers say, did not know how to read, but as soon as 
he looked over the " waraka" (the writing) he was 
endowed with a miraculous gift of reading and began 
to rehearse it fluently and eagerly. This was the 
first of 114 warakas which Gabriel brought him from 
time to time and on various occasions, and which, be- 
ing compiled after the death of Mohamet, composed 
the book of the Koran. 

On the day he received this first divine message he 
returned home, and at once broke to his wife the 
solemn news of supernatural visions and heavenly 
voices in his seclusion, and recited before her the 
"waraka" which he claimed to be conveyed to him by 
the archangel Gabriel, and invited her to accept this 
true religion and to become the first believer among 
his kindred and countrymen. Being unable to resist 
such a powerful exhortation, she immediately ac- 
cepted the invitation and became the first proselyte 
among the future hosts of the Mohametan world. 

5. The Rapid Progress of Islam. Mohamet's 
teachings, especially those that were against the idols 
of Kabeh, were very much opposed by his own tribe 
and kindreds. But owing to the circumstances of his 



16 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

time and country, namely, to the discord and corrup- 
tion among the Christian sects, and the hostility 
between the proselyte Jews and the Christians, and 
to the adaptation of Islamic militio-religious system 
to the adventurous spirit of the Arab races, and to 
the sensual and avaricious nature of savage tribes, 
and to the absence of a mighty power to check its 
fury, this system was firmly established in Arabia 
" by the edge of the sword," and these local suc- 
cesses encouraged the followers of Islam to carry on 
their expeditions by the force and fire of the * ' Holy 
Wars " which burned all the surrounding countries, 
ruined and defiled the Christian churches, killed and 
enslaved the Jews and the Christians, until, in the 
short space of 80 years from the death of their 
prophet they could extend the Mohametan dominion 
from Egypt to India, and from Lisbon to Samarcand, 
thus waving the bloody banner of the " Crescent' 1 
over the continents of Asia, Africa and Europe. 
Had it not been for the bravery of Charles Martel 
Europe would have been overwhelmed by the torrent 
of Islam, and would most probably be covered with its 
gloom even unto this day. As an illustration of the 
rapid progress of Islam, so much would suffice to 
mention that in the fourth year of his mission Mo- 
hamet could only make 40 Proselytes, chiefly slaves 
and the people of the lower ranks, while towards the 
twentieth year of his ministry he entered the city of 
Mecca with 40,000 followers to perform pilgrimage 
in the Kabeh, the sacred temple that was already 
Mohametanized. The present number of Mohametans 
is estimated to be over 200,000,000. 



CHAPTER II. 

THE KORAN, THE SACRED BOOK OF ISLAM. 

t. Trie Asserted Supremacy of the Koran. 
Moharnmetans confess four sacred books, Law of 
Moses, Psalms of David, Gospel of Jesus and Koran 
of Mohamet, with these two distinctions, that the 
Koran, being the last and the best of the revelations, 
is supreme and authoritative over the others, and 
that the present books, which Jews and Christians 
have in their hands, are not the genuine revelations 
given to Moses, David and Jesus; that the Jewish 
and Christian scribes intentionally corrupted them in 
order to conceal all indications about the Latter 
Day Prophet and his true religion. Hence they 
have no value as authoritative texts and no Moharn- 
etan need be led astray by them, as the substance of 
the original revelations is giveninthe book of Koran. 

The original text of the Koran, they assert, 
exists upon a tablet co-existent with the throne of 
God and adored by the celestial hosts as "the 
Eternal Word." A copy of it, written with silver 
and golden letters, descended into the first heaven in 
the sacred month of Kamazan, and piece by piece 
communicated to Mohamet bv the archangel Gabriel. 
Each letter of this holy book is said to contain ten 
thousand mysteries and unmeasurable virtues. 
Simply the heading of each chapter, "Bis mill ah er 
rahm'an erratum" (in the name of the most merciful 
Allah), being composed of 19 Arabic letters, is be- 

17 



18 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

lieved to have sufficient power to dispel the evils of 
the 19 hours of the day, and united with five 
daily Mohametan prayers is able to keep the believer 
from the evils and troubles of a whole day. The 
mechanical rehearsing of certain passages is taught to 
be an effectual relief for certain calamities, a sure 
protection in sacred wars, a lucky success in all 
enterprises, and an assurance in gaining loves and 
favors. 

2. The Sacredness of the Current Copies of the 
Koran. A non-Mohametan is not allowed to touch 
this heaven-descended book; even the Mohametans 
do not handle it without having first performed the 
ceremony of ablution — sacred washing. When 
European or American travelers go to the Turkish 
Museums at Constantinople and enter, for instance, 
into the Tomb of Sultan Mahmoud, they will find a 
Mohametan guide there ready to show and explain the 
articles of interest, among which are several copies 
of the Koran wrapped in elegant embroideries and 
put upon special stands in front of the tomb, both 
for adornment and for the spiritual benefit of that 
great Sultan. The guide opens them one by one 
and explains their authority and dates and estimated 
prices, always being careful that no infidel's hand 
shall touch them. If any of the visitors moves his 
hand toward the finely gilded pages he politely pushes 
it back, saying, ' 'Please, sir, according to our belief 
it is not lawful to touch the sacred Koran without 
first performing the legal ceremony of ablution. I 
can not myself touch it without,'' The writer had 



THE KORAN, THE SACRED BOOK OF ISLAM. 19 

the opportunity to examine the very fine pages and 
richly ornamented covers while the white-turbaned 
guide was busy in telling stories about the out-of- 
order * 'golden clock," which was presented to a pre- 
vious Sultan by the Emperor Napoleon, aud the 
heavy embroidered green curtains used many years 
in the "Sacred Kabeh," and forwarded to him 
as a compliment to his religious zeal ; and the chest 
in which "the sacred beard" of the Prophet is 
still preserved, which no one is allowed to open 
but the Sultan himself when he comes to kiss the 
sacred relics kept in that magnificent shrine of white 
marbles. 

Such a book of boundless mysteries and rich 
blessings can never be translated into other lan- 
guages ; hence the Arabs, the Hindoos, the Moors, 
the Persians, the Turks and the Albanians, all 
different races with different dialects, read it in 
the same original Arabic language with the strict- 
est care of correct articulation. A great many 
learned people make it their life work to commit the 
whole Koran (a book about t e size of the New 
Testament) to memory and rehearse it continually. 
Even the majority of the blind men among Moham- 
etans learn the whole book by heart, and on various 
occasions are invited into the Harems to rehearse 
certain portions for their own interest and for the 
benefit of the household. They are called "Hafiz," 
the Preserver (of the ancient Word). 

It is n ,t an unusual thing to see a pious Moham- 
etan sit before the window of his house, or even at his 



20 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

shop, and engage in repeating or reading his Koran 
in a monotonous tone and with continual vibrations 
of the upper part of his body, at the same time notic- 
ing all things about, having occaskmal talks with 
others, trying to catch the neighbors' customers, bar- 
gaining, joking, swearing, cursing, as the circum- 
stances may demand, and yet trying to finish the 
portion he began to recite. The great majority can 
not read the Koran, but they are privileged to carry 
about them some portions of it written upon a narrow 
and very long piece of paper, and wrapped in cloth 
very tightly and put in a tin or silver case and hung 
around the neck. The simple carrying of such a 
relic entitles the owner to the same blessings, and he 
is requested to take it out from time to time — once in 
a few years, for example — and hand it to a teacher 
and listen to his reading it. Many children, sleep- 
less babies, idiots and even mad animals are fur- 
nished with such relics in order to be protected from 
"bad eyes" and possible injuries. 

3. Bible Stories as Recorded in the Koran. By 
his accidental contact with the Christians and Jews 
Mohamet seems to have received some vague idea of 
the Old and New Testaments and the apocryphal and 
Talmudic writings of his time. The Mohametan so- 
called Bible story is full of mistakes, as it will be 
seen from the following examples: 

The Story of Adam and Eve. After creating 
Adam God brought him into the presence of angels 
and commanded them to bow before this human 
being [the reason of this command will be given else- 






THE KORAN, THE SACRED BOOK OF ISLAM 21 

where], which they all have done except Azazil, one 
of the four distinguished archangels, who refused, 
saying, "Why should I, whom Thou hast created of 
fire, bow down to one whom Thou hast formed of 
clay?" For this offense and rebellion he was accursed 
and cast out of Paradise, and his name changed to 
Iblis, which signifies "despair." In revenge for his 
abasement he works all kinds of mischief against the 
posterity of Adam. 

After eating the forbidden fruit, and being ex- 
pelled from Paradise, which was in heaven, Adam 
was cast down to India and Eve to Jiddeh in Arabia, 
where they wandered alone 200 years without being 
able to find each other. On Adam's lamenting, God 
forgave his sin and led him to the districts of Mecca, 
where he found his wife, no more to separate. Eve 
gave twenty births, two children each time, one male 
and the other female. And God commanded each 
male to marry his next younger sister. Cain (they 
call Cabil) being disobedient to this divine order, 
wanted to marry the girl who was born with him. 
So God being displeased with him, did not accept his 
offering as He did that of Abel. Adam lived a 
thousand years and saw 40,000 of his descendants, 
after which he died on a Friday (the sacred day 
of the Mohametans) and was buried in the island of 
Serendib, Ceylon. 

Seth, the son of Adam, being the most beautiful 
among mankind, and a favorite of his father, received 
fifty pieces of revelation from God, and also built the 
Kabeh with stone and lime. 



22 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

The Tradition about Kdbeh, the Holy Temple 
in Mecca. Adam one day, in the depth of his sorrow 
and repentance, raised his hands and eyes to heaven 
and implored the kindness of God that a shrine 
might be granted to him similar to that which he had 
worshiped while in Paradise, and around which the 
angels used to move in adoring processions. The 
prayer of Adam was heard and a tabernacle formed 
of radiant clouds which was lowered down by the 
angels. Toward this shrine Adam thenceforth 
turned when in prayer, and around it he daily made 
seven circuits in imitation of the angelic procession. 
At the death of Adam it passed away or was drawn 
up to heaven, but another of the same form and on 
the same spot was built of stone and clay by Seth. 
This was swept away by the deluge. 

After many generations, when Hagar and her child, 
Ishmael, were near perishing from thirst in the desert, 
an angel revealed to them a spring of water near the 
ancient site of that tabernacle. This spring or well, 
called Zemzem, is held sacred by the descendants of 
Ishmael to the present day. In process of time, by 
the command of God, Ishmael undertook to rebuild 
the Kabeh, assisted by his father, Abraham. While 
they were thus occupied the angel Gabriel brought 
them a stone which was originally the guardian angel 
appointed to watch over Adam in Paradise, but 
changed into a stone and thrown out with him as a 
punishment for not being more watchful. This stone 
Abraham and Ishmael received with proper reverence 
and put it in a corner of the exterior wall of the tern- 



THE KORAN, THE SACRED BOOK OF ISLAM, 23 



pie, where it remains to the present day, devoutly 
kissed by worshipers each time they make a circuit 
around the building. When first inserted in the wall 
it was a single jacinth of dazzling whiteness, but 
became gradually blackened by the kisses of sinful 
mortals. At the resurrection day it will recover its 
angelic form and stand forth a testimony before God 
in favor of those who have performed the holy 
pilgrimage. 

The Story of the Prophets and Abraham. Mo- 
hametans accept 200,000 prophets or holy men, 313 
of whom, being endowed by special pieces of divine 
revelation, are called the apostles or the messengers. 
Six of this latter class, Adam, Noah, Abraham, 
Moses, Jesus and Mohamet, had preference over all 
by special mission to establish new religious systems 
among mankind. 

Mohamet being the last and the greatest of this 
group of six is called "The Prophet of the Latter 
Days," "The Favorite of God," "The Glory of the 
Universe," "The Prince of Two Worlds," "The Seal 
of the Prophets," "The Unique Pearl," "The Chief 
of the Apostles," etc. 

Next in excellence comes Abraham, "Halil Ullah," 
the Friend of God, upon whose faith, they say, the 
religion of Islam was founded. They give preference 
to Ishmael, the patriarch of Arabs, over Isaac, the 
patriarch of Jews. Among the many Arabic tradi- 
tions of Abraham the folio wins: is selected to be the 
fact related in the Koran: Abraham, a worshiper of 
the Almighty, was persecuted by his tribe and by his 



24 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

own family. One day the infidel king of his country, 
hearing about the heresy of young Abraham, sum- 
moned him into his presence and commanded him to 
give up the worship of God and worship the statue of 
his king, who was greater than God. Abraham not 
obeying his command was cast into a furnace of fire, 
which by the divine power was immediately changed 
to a shining glory. Seeing this miraculous heavenly 
light many unbelievers turned to God, but the haughty 
ruler was still more obstinate and insisted upon his 
supremacy over all gods. One day in a dispute Abra- 
ham said unto him, "Verily my God bringeth the 
sun from the east, now do thou bring it from the 
west if thou art equal to God." Upon this challenge 
the infidel was confounded and ordered Abraham out 
of his dominion. As soon as Abraham left the city 
a mighty wind was sent by God and destroyed it even 
to its foundations. When Abraham saw the city in 
this condition he deplored and thought in his heart, 
how shall God quicken this city. Then God caused 
him to die for a hundred years and afterwards raised 
him to life and said unto him, "How long hast 
thou tarried here?" He answered, "A day, or part 
of it." God said, "Nay, thou hast tarried here a 
hundred years; now look on thy food and drink, 
they are not yet corrupted ; but look on thine animal, 
which is long dead and the bones scattered. See 
how I will raise them and clothe them with flesh." 
And He did according to His word. Then in order to 
make the doctrine of resurrection plainer to him he 
told Abraham to take four birds and divide them into 



THE KORAN, THE SACRED BOOK OF ISLAM. 25 

pieces, and lay a part of them on every mountain and 
then call them together, which he did, and the 
birds being restored to life came swiftly unto him. 

The Story of Jesus Christ. Mohametans regard 
"Isa el Messih," Jesus, the Christ, with high rev- 
erence, and attribute his miraculous birth to the 
power of God, but condemn the Christians with ut- 
most severity for calling him "God," or "the Son of 
God." Among the thousand and one Arabic names 
of divinity they never accept the title of "Father." 

The outline of his life as taken from the Koran is 
as follows : Mary retired from her family to a place 
towards the east, and took a veil to conceal herself 
from men. One day the angel Gabriel appeared unto 
her and said, " Verily I am the messenger of thy 
Lord, and sent to give thee a holy son for a sign 
unto men." Wherefore she conceived and retired 
aside to a more distant place. And when the pains of 
childbirth came upon her she reclined upon the trunk 
of a palm tree and cried, saying, "Would to God 
I had died before this and lost in oblivion ! ' When 
the child came she took him in her arms and 
brought to her people, who being unaware of all 
these things, with great contempt said unto her, 
"O Mary, sister of Aaron, now thou hast done a 
strange thing; thy father was not a bad man, 
neither was thy mother a harlot!" But she made 
signs unto the new-born child to answer them and 
tell the truth all about himself, whereupon he said 
"Verily I am the servant of God, he hath given 
me the book of the gospel and hath appointed me a 



26 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

prophet, and hath commanded me to observe prayer 
and to give alms so long as I shall live, Peace be on 
me the day whereon I was born and the day whereon 
I shall die and the day whereon I shall be raised to 
life." When Jesus was grown enough to begin his 
prophecy he took clay from earth and made it in the 
figure of a bird, and breathing thereon it became a 
living bird by God's permission. On another occasion 
he caused a table to descend unto his apostles from 
heaven, aud the day of its descent became a festival 
day unto Christians. Iu one of his discourses Jesus 
is related to speak unto his followers that in latter 
days there will arise a greater prophet called 
6 'Ahmed," glorious (another title of Mohamet), 
and the world shall obey him. Mohametans assert 
that the Jewish and Christian scribes maliciously 
corrupted the books of law and gospel and took out 
the name of Mohamet from the original writings. 

They never believe that Jesus was actually held, 
crucified and murdered by the Jews, but simply they 
were deceived by a divine trick in taking Simon, 
the betrayer, for Jesus, because God has given him 
the resemblance of his master in order to punish him 
for his treason, and to annul the bad intention of the 
enemies while he took Jesus into heaven, whence he 
shall come in the last day to testify for Mohamet. 
In that day God shall say unto Jesus before all 
Christians, " O Jesus, son of Mary, hast thou said 
unto men to take thee and thy mother for two gods 
beside God?" He shall answer solemnly, "Praise be 
unto Thee ! It is not for me to say that which I 



THE KORAN, THE SACRED BOOK OF ISLAM. 27 

ought not; thou knowest what is in me. I have not 
spoken to them any other than what thou didst com- 
mand me." 

These few illustrations of the so-called Mohametan 
bible story will be enough to show that the illiterate 
founder of that false religion, partly misled, of 
course, by the apocryphal Christian writings of his 
age, tried to conceal his fraud by childish stories, by 
unnecessary details and wholly false representations, 
at the same time making gross mistakes in geograph- 
ical and historical facts; e. g., he makes the prophet 
Elijah contemporary with Moses ; Ishmael to have 
been offered in sacrifice instead of Isaac; Saul to 
have led the ten thousand down to the river bank in- 
stead of Gideon, and by the most monstrous error 
represents Mary, the mother of Jesus, to have been 
the same person with Miriam, the sister of Aaron 
and Moses ! 

4. A Few Quotations from the Koran. In order 
to get a clearer idea about the moral character of 
this sacred book let us read some pieces from it. 
The first chapter reads as follows : "In the name of 
the most merciful Allah. Praise be to Allah, the 
Lord of all creatures, the most gracious, the king of 
the day of judgment. Thee do we worship, and of 
thee do we beg assistance. Direct us in the right 
way, in the way of those to whom thou hast been 
gracious; not of those against whom thou art in- 
censed, nor those who go astray." For the sake of 
impartiality we have quoted one of the best portions, 
which any Mohametan himself would bring in favor 



28 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

of the Koran ; but before giving any decision let us 
read some other portions, as 

From the 2nd Chapter. "When the Lord said 
unto the angels, 'I will place a substitute on earth' 
(he referred to Adam), they said, 'Wilt thou place 
there one who will do evil therein and shed blood? 
but we celebrate thy praise and sanctify Thee.' God 
answered, 'Verily I know that which ye know not;' 
and he taught Adam the names of all things, and 
then proposed them to the angels and said, 'Declare 
unto me now the names of these things if ye say 
truth.' They answered, 'Praise be unto thee, we 
have no knowledge but what thou teachest us, for 
thou art knowing and wise.' God said, 'O Adam, 
tell them now their names;' and when he had told 
them their names, God said, 'Did I not tell you that 
I know the secrets of heaven and earth?' and when 
he said unto the angels, 'Now worship Adam,' they 
all worshiped him except Iblis, who refused and 
was puffed up with pride, and became of the number 
of unbelievers," etc. This is an example of illogical 
and objectionable stories with which "the Ancient 
Word" is full. God's resentful consultation with 
the angels, their knowledge about the future condi- 
tion of mankind and at the same time their ignorance 
in telling the names of things; God's fraud in teach- 
ing Adam secretly, yet in showing the angels that he 
(Adam) knew the names himself, and thus gaining a 
false name for Adam, whom he decided to appoint a 
substitute in spite of the angels. These are some of 
the contradictions and blasphemous points. 



THE KORAN, THE SACRED BOOK OF ISLAM. 29 

Another example from the 56th Chapter. ''Those 
who have preceded others in the faith shall precede 
them to paradise. These are they who shall approach 
near unto God; they shall dwell in gardens of 
delight, reposing on couches adorned with gold and 
precious stones, sitting opposite to one another 
thereon. Youth, which shall continue in their bloom 
forever, shall go round about to attend them with 
goblets and beakers and a cup of flowing wine ; their 
head shall not ache by drinking the same, neither 
shall their reason be disturbed; and with fruits of 
the sorts which they shall choose, and the flesh of birds 
of the kind which they shall desire. And there shall 
accompany them fair damsels having large black 
eyes, resembling pearls hidden in their shells, as a 
reward for that which they shall have wrought. 
Verily we have created the damsels of Paradise by a 
peculiar creation, and we (God is the speaker) have 
made them virgins, beloved by their husbands, of 
equal age with them, for the delight of the com- 
panions of the right hand," etc. This is the sketch 
of the description of Mohametan Paradise, with which 
the sacred Koran is full. 

5. Koran's Declaration and Commands about 
Christians. "They are surely infidels who say, 
Verily God is Christ, the son of Mary" (Chap. 
4). "O true believers, take not the Jews or 
Christians for your friends, they are friends the 
one to the other; but whoso among you taketh 
them for his friends he is surely one of them" 
(Chap. 5). 



30 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

" War is enjoined you against the infidels, but this 
is hateful unto you; but God knoweth and ye know 
not." * 'Fight, therefore, against them until there 
be no temptation to delusion and the religion to 
God's" (Chap. 2). "And when the (sacred) 
months, wherein ye are not allowed to attack them, 
shall be passed, kill the associates (of divinity, poly- 
theists and trinitarians) wheresoever ye shall find them 
and take them prisoners, and besiege them, and lay 
wait for them in every convenient place" ( Chap. 9). 
" When ye encounter the unbelievers, strike off their 
heads until ye have made a great slaughter among 
them" ( Chap. 47). "Let them fight for the religion 
of God, who part with the present life in exchange for 
that which is to come; for whosoever fighteth for the 
religion o% God, whether he be slain or be victorious, 
we will surely give him a great reward" ( Chap. 4). 
"Fight against them who profess not the true re- 
ligion, of those unto whom the scriptures have been 
delivered (Jews and Christians) until they pay tribute 
by right of subjection, and they be reduced low" 
( Chap. 9). "Ye are also forbidden to take to wife 
free women who are married, except those women 
whom your right hand shall possess as slaves. This 
is ordained you from God" ( Chap. 4.) 

The above precepts are a few examples of the 
diabolic spirit of Islam, with which the whole Koran 
is saturated. And the most blasphemous side of this 
is that these words profess to be copied from the 
"Eternal Word of God," and descended from heaven 
and from the mouth of the just and merciful God. 



CHAPTER III. 

NON-MOHAMETANS IN THE SIGHT OF ISLAM. 

According to the doctrines and practice of Islam 
non-Mohametans have no right to enjoy the same 
privileges God has granted to Moslems. They may 
be allowed to live among Moslems only as subjects 
and subordinates, in a very restricted limitation in 
regard to their legal rights, religious privileges and 
titles of honor and social freedom. 

1. Titles Denied in the Koran to non-Mohame- 
tans. The Mohametans call themselves "Muslim" 
(Moslem) which signifies "Submitted" to Allah and 
his service body and soul, and destined to peace and 
salvation. Also "Mumin," the "Believer" of the 
true God and his angels and holy servants. Also 
"Ibadullah," the servants and worshipers of Allah. 
A^aio, "Ummeti Muhammed," the people or the 

to " 

flock of Mohamet, etc. The followers of any other 
religion, idolators, atheists, Sabians, magi, Jews 
and Christians, are called "Kiafir" (Giaour), blas- 
phemer, infidel. 

Sultan Mahmoud II., the grandfather of the 
present Sultan, has formally forbidden his subjects 
to apply the term Giaour to any European, and one 
or twu of his successors extended this prohibition to 
the Christian and Jewish subjects of their own 
dominions; but such things being well known to be 

31 



32 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

insincere could not and did not bring any change. 
The followers of the false prophet practice the 
same insulting titles now and will continue to do so 
as long as Islam rules. 

How can the Mohametans honor Christians whom 
the Koran declares as "those who go astray," "unbe- 
lievers," "polytheists," "corrupt doers," "fools," 
"despised," "hypocrites," etc. etc.? These are the 
names given to non-Mohametans in the book of 
Koran, "the latest and best of Divine revelations," 
in which nothing is more prevalent than the contrast 
of Moslems' and non-Moslems' present and future 
conditions. The idea of universal brotherhood of 
mankind and the attempt to promote the final union 
of the Kingdom of God are the points most malici- 
ously ignored in its pages." 

2. Other Popular Titles of Disgrace Used for 
aon-Mohametans. The mosques of Moslems are 
called "Jami Sherif," the sacred convent; to the 
word "kiliseh," church, they never attach the ad- 
jective sacred. The metropolitan mosques or 
temples are called "Beitullah or Seiretullah," the 
house of God or the walking place of God, while 
the Christian cathedrals are called "Ulu Kiliseh," 
the big gathering place. The common, rude 
Mohametan chapels, most of which are not worthy 
for human habitation, are named "Mesjid" 
(mosque), the worshiping place, while Christian 
chapels are named "gathering place." The graves 
of distinguished Mohametans are called "Turbet 
Sherif," the sacred tomb, while those of Christians 



NON-MOHAMETANS IN THE SIGHT OF ISLAM. 33 

"Makbereh," the burial place. The religious ser- 
vices of Islam are called "sejdeh, or ibadet," wor- 
ship or service of God, while those of non-Moslems, 
* 'rites, forms, ceremonies." The supposed mantle 
of Mohamet, kept with greatest care and honor, is 
called "Hurkai Sherif," the sacred mantle, but the 
cross sign of the Christians' "Salab," the hanging 
wood. The religious chief of Islam is titled "Emir 
el Mumin," the sire, the commander of the 
believers. The Chiistian patriachs, or archbishops, 
are called "Patrik or Serpiscopos ; "Ser" means head, 
"Pis" means filth— "Filthy-headed Copos." The 
bishops are popularly called "Karabash," the black- 
headed ; the common priests, "Keshish," which has 
no literal meaning. The Jewish high priest is called 
"Khakham Bashi," the Boss Khakham (corrupted 
from the Hebrew word "Hakem," the sage). The 
Mohametan theological teachers are called "Muder- 
ris," explainer, interpreter; that of the Christians 
(vartabcd) "Mahraeah" — mashed food, hash. A 
Mohametan pilgrim to Mecca is called "Haji" — 
holy pilgrim. A Christian pilgrim to Jerusalem 
"Aji" — the bitter one. The noted men among the 
Mohametans are called "Effendi, agha," sire, yeo- 
man; among the Christians, "Chorbaji," soup- 
maker. The learned Mohametans, "Khoja," 
master; Christians, "Havaja," airy, nonsense, 
fool. The Moslem women, "Haremi Sherif, 
Cadin," the sacred harem, the lady; the Christian 
women, "Giaour Mamasi," the infidel old woman, the 
mother of infidels. Their Friday is called "Aziz 



34 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

Juma," the holy convention. Our Sunday is called 
"Ahad," the first day of the week, or * 'Bazar," the 
sale day. The Mohametan fasting month is called 
"Ramazani Sherif," the sacred Ramazan ; the 
Christian Lent is called "Behriz," the corruption of 
"Perhiz," abstinence from certain foods. The 
Mohametan dead is called "Jenazeh," the funeral 
worship; that of a Christian is called "Giaour 
olusi," the dead body of an infidel. When they 
announce in the papers the death of a noted Moslem 
they say, "Transferred into the Land of Perpetuity," 
or "Migrated into the Region of Souls;" of any 
Christian they say "shriveled, perished." When 
they mention a dead Mohametan they say, "May 
God have mercy unto his soul," or "May his 
tomb be illuminated," or "Peace be upon him." 
They never use such phrases for the Christians. 
Of the former sultans they say, "Whose abode is 
Paradise." 

3. Christians Disgraced in Official Documents. 
In a- Turkish dictionary, published at Constantinople 
not very long ago, the word "jeres" (bell) is de- 
fined as "the special instrument by which the Blas- 
phemers call their people to perform heathenish 
rites," and this was fifty years later than the formal 
prohibition of the Sultan Mahmoud II., "whose 
abode is Paradise." 

It was custom until very recent times to attach the 
title of "Zimmi," indebted, to any Christian name 
in writings, because, according to the declaration of 
the Koran, Christians are indebted to the Moslem's 



NON-MOHAMETANS IN THE SIGHT OF ISLAM. 35 

» 

mercy for their existence and some privileges (for 
which they have to pay tribute as a ransom fee); 
also the Christians are called * 'Rayah," pasture, for 
the flock of Moslem lambs. 

They write * 'Ahmed, the son of Mohamet," to 
identify a Moslem, but "Peter, born of John," for 
Christians. This is simply to denounce Christian 
marriage as illegal. When mixed names are to be 
put on paper the eminent Christian's name must 
come after the name of a common Moslem's, the 
distinction of adjectives never being omitted. 

The following official document of a certain Mah- 
kemeh, legal court, given not very long ago in con- 
nection with the burial of a Christian priest, is among 
the properties of the said person, and reads as follows : 

"From the estrayed sect of Nazarites the infidel 
Keshish, named — having been shriveled (dead), the 
official permission of our sacred Mahkemeh was im- 
plored by his sect to put the corpse under the earth. 
Though the accursed carrion of the said wretch is not 
worthy to be placed under the sacred soil, which will 
refuse the admission of such an unclean thing, yet in 
order to prevent the stench of atmosphere by the 
hateful stink of the perished body, this official docu- 
ment is written and given as a permission for taking 
away the said filth to their assigned spot, and put it 
under the soil according to their vain ceremonies. 
May it stumble down to the infernal abyss." 

The grave-stone of Christians is not allowed to 
stand erect, but must be prone, in token of their sub- 
jection to Mohametan rule. 



36 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

4. Denial of Religious and Social Rights. Ac- 
cording to the Mohametan law a non-Moslem's testi- 
mony cannot be accepted, even listened to, in legal 
courts, especially when it tends to be against a 
"believer." But when the interest of Islam demands, 
a Moslem is justified, even held religiously obliged, 
to go to the court and give his legal oath and bear 
false witness against Giaours (Christians.) This is 
sanctioned by a decree of the Koran and practiced by 
its followers. 

A Christian can never make a legal will on his own 
property, leaving it for his church, or school, or any 
Christian institution ; while most of the wealthy Mo- 
hametans will their immovable properties to a certain 
mosque, or even to their living generations or friends, 
and such properties, by a very small religious fee, 
are forever exempt from the regular taxation, regarded 
as the sacred possession of Islam, carefully protected, 
repaired, and prevented from being sold to others, 
especially to "Giaours." 

A Christian church, or school, or any other public 
institution cannot be erected within sixty yards dis- 
tance from a mosque or Moslem school, even if the 
latter be ruined and changed to a heap of ashes. 

The words of common salutation used among Mos- 
lems, "Peace be unto you," can never be addressed 
to or by a Christian, because this phrase being used 
among the ancient Moslem prophets, as Adam, Noah, 
Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus and others, and also 
among the angels and saints of Paradise, no infidel 
destined to perdition has a right to claim its benefit. 



NON-MOHAMETANS IN THE SIGHT OF ISLAM. 37 

If addressed to a Christian by mistake it must be 
and is withdrawn at once. When they meet a Chris- 
tian acquaintance they may use common words of 
recognition or make a slight motion with their hand 
without uttering a word. 

5. Practical Enmity Against Christianity. No 
Moslem can change his faith without infliction of the 
death penalty. Especially those who are proselyted 
to Islam can never return to their original faith with- 
out being murdered for the supposed treason, while 
Christian men and women are induced, forced, and 
very often tortured to accept Islam. To marry such 
a convert woman is regarded highly virtuous. In 
case of such a conversion, which is very rare, the 
once Christian man is clothed with a heavily em- 
broidered robe and a rich turban put upon his head, 
and mounted upon a fine horse and accompanied with 
a crowd of howling dervishes and sinking mollahs he 
is paraded in the streets and by the houses of his 
former friends ; then he is taken to the house of the 
greatest Moslem and entertained there for several 
days until a believing woman is found to marry this 
new-born servant of Allah, who with his faith changes 
also his name. 

Such common proverbs are publicly spoken, even 
to the face of the Christians: "Giaour's property is 
lawful to Moslem;" "Giaour's neck is for the sword 
of Islam;" "Giaour's head belongs to the govern- 
ment, and his property to the public;" "It is virtuous 
to drink Giaour's blood;" "Giaour has no religion;" 
"On the Day of Resurrection Giaours shall grovel 



38 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

with their faces on the earth, while the Moslems will 
walk erect, and will be borne aloft on winged camels, 
white as milk, with saddles of fine gold;" "When 
the Bridge of Surat is reached the Moslem will pass 
it through as a bird or an arrow and step the blissful 
gardens of Paradise, but Giaours, fiading it as narrow 
as a hair's breadth and as sharp as a sword, will not be 
able to walk upon it, and thus shall stumble down 
into the lake of hell, full of boiling slime and melted 
sulphur;" "If a man kills an innocent cat or dog he 
must build as many mosques as the number of hairs 
on the animal, in order to escape its future punish- 
ment, but by killing obstinate Jews or Christians 
will be rewarded in both worlds." 

Every pious Moslem has to repeat the following 
prayer when he kueels down before the throne of his 
most merciful Allah : "I seek refuse with Allah from 
Satan, the accursed; in the name of Allah, the most 
merciful. O Lord of all creatures, O Allah! destroy 
the infidels and potytheists, Thine enemies, the ene- 
mies of the religion. O Allah ! make their children 
orphans, and defile their abodes; cause their feet to 
slip; give them and their families, their households 
and their women, their children and their relatives by 
marriage, their brothers and their friends, their 
possessions and their race, their wealth and their 
lands, as booty to the Moslems. O Lord of all crea- 
tures ! ' ' 



CHAPTER IV. 

THE FIVE RELIGIOUS DUTIES OF ISLAM. 

1. Prayer. Mohametans have five daily prayers, 
which are nothing but mechanical repetition of some 
portions from the religious books, in appointed times 
and in certain manner. 

At first Allah demanded forty daily prayers from 
the Moslems, but through the intercession and wise 
counsel of the Greatest Prophet, he was willing to re- 
duce the number to five. The time for first prayer is 
at one hour before sunrise, the second at noon, the 
third two hours before sunset, the fourth at sunset, 
and the last about two hours after sunset. 

Prayers must be preceded by ablution, the cere- 
monious washing of the hands, arms, nostrils, mouth, 
face, ears, forehead and feet. 

Each time of prayer a crier called "muezzin" 
ascends to the top of the minaret, the slim, high 
tower attached to the mosque, to invite the believers 
to worship. He must cry as eagerly and loudly as he 
can bv which he will be able to reach more people, 
and also secure a larger space in paradise, as large as 
the distance of his voice. 

To pray with the congregation is regarded more 
virtuous, but in case of necessity the believer may 
perform his prayer at home, in the shop, in any pub- 
lic place, or on the wayside. The Friday noon prayer, 

39 



40 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

the evening prayers of the fasting month and the 
morning prayers of the Great Festival days are ex- 
pected to be performed in the mosque. 

At prayer Kabch, the sacred temple of Mcca, must 
be faced. If a traveler confuses the directions he 
may face any direction by uttering "My intention is 
the Kabeh." Shoes must be taken off, but hats kept 
on. The various positions during the worship are 
standing erect, the eyes fixed low upon the ground, 
then partial bending of the body and kneeling, then 
touching the floor with the forehead, which is repeated 
several times. While in these attitudes the wor- 
shiper will repeat certain passages from the Koran in 
a low, muttering way. The very act of looking 
around, talking, laughing, coughing, spitting, sneez- 
ing, or rubbing the flesh in consequence of a flj^-bite, 
renders the unfinished prayer null and void and 
obliges the worshiper to begin his devotion anew. 

The Mohametans never pray in a place where any 
picture may be found. You can not see pictures or 
photographs in Moslem houses, except in those of a 
very few liberal minded officers. Mohamet used to say 
that "the angels would not enter a house in which pic- 
tures are found, and that those who made them would 
be commanded in the last day to give souls to them, or 
be punished in the fire of hell." Some carry this 
piety to the degree that they scratch the necks of the 
pictures on foreign coins with a knife, as if to kill or 
nullify them. There are Napoleons, Victorias, czars, 
kaisers and Austrian emperors — all intimate friends 
of the Sultan and protectors of his throne— that cir- 



THE FIVE RELIGIOUS DUTIES OF ISLAM. 41 

culate with scratched necks in Moslem markets, 
especially in the interior of the Ottoman empire, 
where the actual scratch-necks has been so freely 
going on by the order of "the most gracious father 
of the empire," and before the eyes of his great 
allies. 

2. Fasting During the Month of Ramazan 
(lunar calendar). During the twenty-nine days of 
this month all the adult Moslems must fast from dawn 
to sunset, after which they are let loose to eat and 
drink and smoke and do all kinds of carnal deeds all 
the night. The sick and the travelers are allowed to 
omit this duty upon the condition that they perform 
it at another convenient time. Any man who fails to 
keep the fast is disgraced and punished publicly, 
occasionally by being seized and put on a donkey 
seated backwards and the tail in his hand for the 
bridle, and carried all over the market places, followed 
by a shouting multitude. Sometimes as an additional 
attraction to this religio-maniacal parade the face of 
the person is dyed black. 

In this sacred month of prayer and humiliation 
their religious feelings — namely, their carnal desires, 
their laziness and their enmity and brutality against 
Giaours — reach to the highest pitch. Poor Christians 
suffer more in this single month than in the other 
eleven months. Every Christian must be very cau- 
tious not to excite the "long-faced" Moslem by de- 
manding his debt, or by eating or smoking in his 
presence, or by disturbing his ear with songs or 
church bells. 



42 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

Ramazan is believed to be the month in which the 
Koran descended from the seventh to the first heaven, 
and in which Mohamet had a night's journey to 
heaven. In the fourteenth night of that month 
the archangel Gabriel aroused him by gently touch- 
ing his side and led him out of his house, where a 
winged mule waited for them. They both rode the 
animal, which took them in a moment to the top of 
Mount Sinai; the next moment they were in the 
Temple of Jerusalem, at the gate of which they left 
the mule, and Gabriel, carrying Mohamet upon his 
wings, put him on the threshold of heaven. After 
visiting all the seven stages of heaven he ap- 
proached to the throne of the Almighty and saw the 
eternal plate upon which "the Word of Ages" was 
written. Mohamet testifies that upon each gate of 
heaven he saw the Arabic inscription, "There is no 
deity but Allah, and Mohamet is the Apostle of 
Allah." After this miraculous visit and glorious 
vision he was taken home by the same route. In 
this illustrious night, "El Kadr," there was an extraor- 
dinary calmness on the earth, so that the roaring 
streams kept still, the winds did not blow, the poison- 
ous serpents and the ferocious animals were motion- 
less in their dens, the robbers could not go out to 
their business, and the diseases and the evil spirits 
were controlled. 

3. Pilgrimage to the Sacred Kabeh at Mecca. 
This is a duty put upon those who can afford the ex- 
penses and bear the troubles of the long and tiresome 
journey. If one can not go himself he may send a 



THE FIVE RELIGIOUS DUTIES OF ISLAM. 43 

substitute, the virtue being the same. The day when 
the sacred caravans start towards the holy city of 
Mecca is regarded as a great occasion, both for those 
who will make the pilgrimage and those who are 
sending them. Almost all the Moslem population of 
the town or city are gathered in one place, dervishes 
with their drums and holy banners, large turbaned 
and wide-robed mollahs, with their yellow slippers, 
followed by a great multitude of men, women and 
children, some howling aud singing, others talk- 
ing and crying, some swearing, others trading, all on 
foot, forming a scene of Babylonian confusion and 
Sodomite ra^e. The chief motive of this tumult is 
two-fold: one is to make a sreat religious demon- 
stration against the Christians, and the other for their 
belief that every Moslem who accompanies the sacred 
caravan even seven steps in its journey will be re- 
garded in the sight of Allah as acceptable as those 
who perform the whole pilgrimage. 

Many of the pilgrims die during this journey, 
partly from the effect of unfavorable climate of 
Arabia and partly from Asiatic cholera, the germs 
of which are proved to be always found in the water 
of Zemzem, the sacred well of Ishmael, which is 
asserted to have the supernatural power of cleansing 
all diseases and sins of the believers. Those who 
die during this journey are sure to be enrolled among 
the blessed martyrs and to enjoy the immediate re- 
ward of the heavenly presence. 

It is believed that every year 80,000 pilgrims visit 
the Holy Temple; if the number be less than that 



44 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

the angels descend from heaven and complete it. 
Mohamet permitted the pilgrims to be engaged in 
commerce on their way to and from Mecca. This 
attracts many people from Persia and India and other 
parts of the Mohametan world to profit themselves 
from these yearly religious fairs and bazars. The 
chances of highway robbery attract many believers 
to rub their faces on the threshhold of the house of 
Allah and make seven circuits a day around the 
Kabeh, each time kissing the angel stone fallen from 
heaven. 

4. Alms and Tithes. Alms is an important duty 
demanded from a Moslem. "Oh! merchants," says 
Mohamet, "falsehood and deception are apt to pre- 
vail in traffic; purify it, therefore, with alms; give 
something in charitv as an atonement, for God is 
incensed by deceit in dealing, but charity appeases 
his anger."' By observing the lives of Mohametans 
one can easily see that they plunder and steal with 
one hand and give alms with the other. Such teach- 
ings as the above-quoted passage encourages them to 
robbery. A copper to a wayside beggar or a morsel 
of bread to a dog is regarded the very means of puri- 
fication of the soul. The most bloody tyrant may 
erect a mosque or a bridge with one part of the 
money he has plundered from the Christians, and he 
is noted as one of the benefactors of the human 
race. On his funeral day his coffin is carried over 
the shoulders of thousands, and every believer pass- 
ing by his grave stops a moment with high reverence 
and deep admiration and repeats his prayer for the 



THE FIVE RELIGIOUS DUTIES OF ISLAM. 45 

illumination of that grave, the owner of which is 
already enrolled among the saints and authorized to 
mediate for the mortal creatures here below. 

Two angels are said to accompany every Moslem, 
one on his right hand to record his good works and the 
other on his left hand to record his evil deeds. God 
is so tolerant for his chosen people that he permits one 
good action to be written ten times, while each bad 
action is not recorded for seven hours, which is an 
opportunity for repentance. By this holy decree a 
Moslem may steal ten dollars and give one dollar as 
alms and have his account all right in the book of 
the heavenly clerks, even without repentance. 

5 . The Words of Testimony or the Creed of Islam . 
This is very brief and decisive. "La ilahe illallah, 
Muhammed er Resulullah." There is no deity but 
Allah. Mohamet is the apostle of Allah. So much 
power is attributed to this creed that one single 
utterance of it in a whole lifetime will be sufficient 
to secure Paradise. If a Moslem can not perform 
five daily prayers he is allowed to perform the 
Friday noon prayers. If he can not do it fifty times 
a year he may perform the two yearly prayers of the 
great festivals. In case he omits the same during 
his life he can utter the above-mentioned creed; if 
he can not do even that he may raise the forefinger 
of his right hand as a sign of this creed, and he is 
sure to be saved. 

Mohametans assert that many Giaours, however 
obstinate in their lifetime, are compelled to submit 
at last to the true religion and make this significant 



46 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

sign of the finger on their death-bed without letting 
their friends know anything about it, and many are 
so afraid of the flames of hell that they are obliged to 
cry aloud, "There is no deity but Allah, Mohamet is 
the apostle of Allah!" Some angels, whose special 
service is to carry corpses from the graves of Giaours 
to the graves of Moslems, come by night and take 
the bodies of these converted believers to their re- 
spective places. We know nothing about such kind 
of conversions, but positively testify to the fact that 
over 100,000 Christians were willing to be butchered 
during these last two years because of their unwill- 
ingness to utter that single expression. 



CHAPTER V. 

THE MOHAMETAN THEOLOGICAL SCHOOLS. 

1. Ulemah, the Theological Party. This is the 
most influential, the most fanatic, and the most 
dangerous element of the Mohametan world. Nur- 
tured with the destructive spirit of the Koran, they 
are always ready and eager to indulge in a holy war 
and renew the formidable expeditions of Islam. 
Having the Sheikh al Islam (the religious head of 
Islam) as their leader, and the host of Softas, or 
Mollahs (the theological students), as their expert 
agents, and the civil and military parties as their 
helpers, and the whole Mohametan world as their 
followers, they plan and practice according to the 
interests of Islam. If the said head of Islam, being 
backed by his party, gives his legal decree for the 
dethronement of a sultan, the community cannot dis- 
regard it. That is why daring these frequent 
changes of ministry and secret butcheries in the 
palace of the Sultan, the Sheikh al Islam is compara- 
tively safe, and the coward Sultan favors the Softas 
and Mollahs, the chief actors in the late massacre at 
Constantinople, with presents, decorations and con- 
gratulations. On the day of Queen Victoria's jubilee 
celebration several cannons were discharged over the 
Bosphorus ; when the Softas heard the first discharge 
they at once poured out into the streets holding their 

47 



48 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

bloody axes, clubs and daggers in their hands, eagerly 
inquiring whom they were to massacre, the Greeks 
or the Armenians. 

2. The Character of the Ulemah. The general 
character of this religious party is corrupt and detri- 
mental. They have only the Koran for their life- 
long study, and shutting themselves against any 
modern or external influence, and relying upon the 
fatalistic principles of Islamic philosophy, and indulg- 
ing in cruel pleasures, they live a very depraved life. 

They believe that every event of life, good or bad, 
is pre-ordained of God, and that no human agency can 
modify it. "On man's forehead," they say, "his pre- 
sonal destiny is written in. a mysterious way that the 
guardian angels only can read it, and when his time 
is come they immediately take his soul; but before 
that appointed moment no enemy, no disease and no 
danger can cause death." This philosophy contradicts 
the idea of human freedom and responsibility, morti- 
fies the aspiration towards the better, and leaves the 
energy of life as an instrument for the prevailing 
vice, corruption and oppression. , 

A language full of unimaginably corrupt expres- 
sions, a home discipline full of shameful induce- 
ments of hellish practices, a street life more wicked 
than that of Sodomite character, a religious teaching 
nothing more than a diabolic mechanism of cruelty, 
a pulpit advocating hatred and malice, a religious 
system of bloodshed and robbery, a book demoraliz- 
ing the human likeness. This is the nearest descrip- 
tion of the modern "Hell upon the earth." The 



THE MOHAMETAN THEOLOGICAL SCHOOLS. 49 

Hindoo and Chinese heathenisms have their standards 
of morality comparatively rational and pure; also 
have had their effects for the betterment of human 
civilization ; but Islam's morality has been immorality, 
and the effect the destruction of humanity. 

3. Some Teachings of the Ulemah. Besides the 
erroneous and harmful teachings of Islam mentioned 
in this book at various points, we will bring forth 
some ridiculous doctrines taught in the theological 
schools of Moslems; for example, as to the natural 
sciences : 

The Origin of Apes. "When the mountain of 
Sinai was lifted up over the Israelites, and the law 
was given unto them, some among the people were 
disobedient and were entirely destroyed. But some 
part of the Jewish nation, rousing a rebellion against 
God on a sabbath day, were punished for their trans- 
gression by being changed into apes and driven away 
from the society of men, as an example for the con- 
temporary and future generations.'* (A different 
theory of evolution) . 

Geography. "The earth, a flat body, rests between 
the horns of a huge ox, and the ox upon a cake of 
soap. When this animal slightly moves his head 
there is an earthquake." (Nobody can tell what will 
become of the earth when his feet slip off of the 
soap, which is not a safe foundation). The thun- 
der is supposed to be the roar of the millstone that 
grinds oats for this huge animal of heavy burden. 

The apparent heaven, a solid plate, is fastened up 
with four screws; at the time of the deluge God 



50 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

slightly touched one of them ; at the end of this 
world all four will be taken out. 

Physiology . For each kind of food there is a sep- 
arate department in the stomach. Similar articles of 
food are changed iuto similar tissues in the human 
body. When God created each disease, he has ap- 
pointed a vegetable near by it as a remedy or anti- 
dote. Lockman, the originator of medicine, was 
gifted by the power of hearing the voices of various 
plants as to what malady they were the remedy. 
Some favored persons have authority over the evil 
eyes and sicknesses, and can biud them with threads. 

Chemistry. The four elements of nature are 
water, earth, air and fire. Gold is composed of three 
common articles, as copper, brass and mercury ; if you 
know the proportion, and if you can find the myste- 
rious powder which, mixed with the said minerals, pro- 
duces gold, you can manufacture the precious metal. 
By burning certain mysterious incenses you can con- 
trol the jealous spirits that watch day and night over 
the hidden subterranean treasures and possess bound- 
less riches. Be careful to repeat certain prayers in 
order to avoid the strokes of those evil spirits. 

4. Supernatural Sciences Taught by Ulemahs. 
— About the Spirits. In the air and among the 
stars numerous evil spirits, or demons, reside. Some 
of them are so enormous and powerful as to threaten 
the earth and the moon and the sun. Comets are 
the tails of these gigantic demons, and the eclipses 
of the moon and the sun are their struggle to swallow 
them, which can be avoided by crying to Gcd from 



THE MOHAMETAN THEOLOGICAL SCHOOLS. 51 

the minarets, and at the same time frightening them 
by shooting fire-arms towards the skies and making 
all kinds of noises, by which the Turk succeeds every 
time in saving the poor moon from being swallowed. 

Some of these evil spirits walk upon the earth, 
mostly among the graves and solitary caves. Some 
nights they take the appearance of a wrapped dead 
body and walk around to terrify innocent people. 
The public baths and the Christian churches are their 
especial gathering places by night, where, by horrible 
snorings, ugly laughters, hateful gestures, and dread- 
ful dances they amuse themselves until the dawn of 
the day. Some of them are so ugly that when they 
laugh the lower lips rest upon the earth and the up- 
per lips reach the stars. 

The Size of the Angels. Angels exist in different 
sizes. Some are so small that 10,000 of them dwell 
upon a single hair of the Moslem's beard, and some 
are so large that their wings, when opened, reach 
from east to west, and some are still larger as to 
swallow all the water on the earth with a single gulp. 
Certain angels have certain services under the admini- 
stration of Allah. Some are messengers, some 
guides, others clerks (to write the good and evil 
deeds of mankind and copy them in the heavenly 
register) ; others porters to carry dead bodies from 
one cemetery to the other; some are "soul takers," 
some are guardians of hell, etc. The space between 
the earth and God's dwelling place is a journey of 
fifty thousand years, which the angels perform in one 
day over the celestial stairs. 



52 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

The Souls of Good Men, whether living or dead, 
have special privileges, as to have communion with 
Allah, to converse with Mohamet, to be present at 
distant places at the moment they desire, and 
to help the weakness of mankind. Many living or 
martyred Moslem saints are believed to ride on 
winged camels every Friday and go to Mecca to per- 
form their noon-prayer at the Kabeh, and return the 
same day to their respective posts or graves. Mollah 
Hunkiar died 600 years ago, and, buried at Iconium 
(Asia Minor), is believed to make the same journey 
riding on a brick wall. Another martyred saint is 
regularly coming from Persia. 

5. Ulemah's Teachings About the Transactions 
Beyond the Grave. — The Interrogation in the Sep- 
ulchre. This will be administered immediately after 
the burial of every Moslem by two angels upon the 
following four questions; 1. Who was thy Lord? 
2. Who was thy Prophet? 3. Which was thy Relig- 
ion? and 4. Which was thy Cubla (direction faced 
while in prayer)? He who will answer, Allah was 
my Lord, Mohamet my prophet, Islam my religion 
and Kabeh my Cubla, shall find a great illumination 
in his grave ; but he who shall not make this proper 
answer shall be involved in darkness until the judg- 
ment day. 

Resurrection. At the end of the world, when the 
archangel Israfil shall blow the trumpet, all things, 
even angels, men and devils, shall be annihilated. 
Then God will revive in. heaven first the "Angel of 
Death," who will recall all the souls in general and re- 



THE MOHAMETAN THEOLOGICAL SCHOOLS. 53 

unite them to their respective bodies. Upon the earth 
the first whom God will raise shall be Mahomet, upon 
whose shouting, "There is no deity but Allah, Mo- 
hamet is the apostle of Allah," all the believers shall 
come to life. One of the sigus of the last day is that 
the sun shall rise from the west and go to the east. 

The Judgment Day. God will theu prepare a 
vast plain where all creatures will be summoned to 
give an account of their past conduct. The duration 
of that day shall be as long as a century, during 
which time the Giaours shall sigh and suffer great 
tribulation and anguish. As to the Moslems it will 
not be so, because those whose good works outweigh 
their recorded bad actions, shall immediately enter 
into Paradise; and those who are found lacking in 
the balance shall be favored by allowing their five 
large grave stones to be put on the scale of good 
actions and weighed again; if he still lacks, which 
will be very seldom, the good actions of the friends 
done in his behalf shall be brought forth and added 
upon the scale; also the prayers offered by his tomb 
shall be introduced to the account, and, in spite of 
all these favors, if his sins outweigh, he shall be 
sent to a temporary purgatory to be punished for the 
balance account; after which, through the in- 
tercession of his prophet, he shall be admitted into 
Paradise and enjoy the full pleasures thereof. 
Those whose scales shall be equally poised are to be 
detained in the middle space between Paradise and 
hell and pass their years ©f penance in that soli- 
tary place in a neutral condition. 



54 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

Paradise. Mohametan paradise is nothing but an 
imaginary place of carnal gratifications. Nothing to 
do but to eat whatever you desire, which at once 
shall be created and brought before you; to drink 
wine and liquors which shall not disturb the mind; to 
enjoy the pleasure of numerous pearly damsels; to 
wear green silken robes which shall not wear out; to 
sit upon soft couches and talk with the friends you 
desire; to be served by blooming youths, and be 
happy by looking down and seeing the wretched con- 
dition of the Giaours in hell. 

The Hell, as imaginary as the Heaven, is de- 
vided into sev€n stories ; the first as a purgatory for 
Moslems, the second for Jews, the third for Chris- 
tians, the fourth for Sabians, the fifth for Magians, 
the sixth for idolators. the seventh, and the lowest of 
all, for the hypocrites, who outwardly professed a 
religion but in reality had none. The essential means 
of torment are heat, cold, bitter foods and filthy 
drinks. The tree of Zakkum, which issues from the 
bottom of hell and the fruit of which resembles the 
heads of devils, is the only supply of food in hell 
with which the damned shall be obliged to fill their 
bellies, and being burnt of its bitterness shall cry 
for drink, when a mixture of filth and boiling sul- 
phur shall be given unto them, which they shall be 
obliged to drink and vomit and begin the torment 
anew. When their skin is burned by the fire God 
will give them a new skin in order to perpetuate their 
torture. When they make complaint of heat they 
shall be exposed to extreme cold and vice versa. 



THE MOHAMETAN THEOLOGICAL SCHOOLS. 



5b 



During these ceaseless successions of extremities 
nineteen angels will take charge of the guardianship 
of hell not to let anybody escape from it, and to 
keep the fire and cold always in operation. 



'rfV^r 




- -* 



CHAPTER VI. 

DERVISHES AND MUFTIES THE TWO RELIGIOUS CLASSES. 

1. Dervishes and Their Doctrine. Dervishes 
belong to a religious class or order professing self- 
denial and abstinence from worldly connections and 
luxuries, and spending their time in worship and re- 
ligious meditation. Candidates of this order must 
prove themselves worthy by serving several months 
or years the Sheikh or the elder of the brotherhood, 
and by practicing at the same time the strict ordi- 
nances of the society. Dervish or Fakir means poor, 
and they glory in calling themselves "poor for the 
sake of the Truth (God)." But all dervishes are 
not poor, Some of them are really poor and desti- 
tute; they are Called beggar dervishes, who go from 
town to town having nothing of their own but a 
patched robe and a lamb's or tiger's skin for their 
outer garment, sometimes barefooted and almost 
always bareheaded and wear long hair; in their 
hands a short stick with a battle-ax-shaped badge on 
one end; also a "Keshgoor," an oval dish, a large 
tambourine, a horn and long rosaries and some 
trifling relics or charms. For their daily bread they 
entirely depend upon the charity of the people. 
Some of them go silently in the market places and 
give thanks for anything that may be put in their oval 
dish. If they don't have enough they never com- 

56 



DERVISHES AND MUFTIES. 57 

plain or ask for more. The majority of the beggar 
dervishes ask for charity by standing in the market 
places and repeating God's name, "Ya Hakk, ya 
Allah," O Truth! O God! constantly, and holding 
their Keshgoor, or horn, to persons they meet. 
Some of them sing while walking to attract the 
attention of the people; their good voice and sig- 
nificant poems are largely emotions and touching, 
as the soul's aspiration to reach the truth, vanities 
of this world and follies of a luxurious life or 
Jacob's lamentation over his lost son, Job's 
patience and deliverance, and sometimes praises 
of the martyred heroes, God's unchangeable will 
and the final destiny of the human soul. 

2. Resident Dervishes. The majority of this 
order, however, are residents of the cities, having 
their own regular trades and families and proper- 
ties. In their appearance they may be distin- 
guished by green turbans around very high gray 
or white caps, long mantles and generally very 
long hair. They have various organizations, which 
they call certain "path" or "system." On certain 
nights during the week they come together at some 
mosque, or the Sheikh's department called "Tek- 
kieh," convent or monastery, and spend hours in 
religious conversation. Especially on Thursday 
nights they hold a very long and fantastic meeting. 
First they sit on the floor in a circular form and 
begin to repeat the name of God (Hakk or Allah) 
with a low voice and in regular intervals of 50-70 
in one minute. Gradually their enthusiasm in- 



58 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

creases and their voices raise to a higher pitch. 
Then they come upon their knees, then stand upon 
their feet, aDd later they turn around in a 
circle, never omitting the regular repetition of God's 
name. After awhile they begin to whirl around the 
axis of their bodies, at the same time keeping the 
circular motion around the center, where they have 
their leader turning with the group and keeping the 
time of their gestures and howling. By this time 
some of them have fainted and fallen down, while 
the others continue with greater eagerness. Grad- 
ually others fall, still they continue until every one 
is exhausted. This practice, commonly united with 
the use of stimulants and narcotics, has a remark- 
ably injurious effect upon the bodrly health and 
mental soundness of the dervishes. 

3. Dervishes as the Guardians of Shrines. 
Tekkiehs in the towns, smaller convents on the 
hill sides, the tombs of certain saints or mar- 
tyrs, and the sacred spots of the past ages attract 
multitudes of visitors or pilgrims from every part of 
the Mohametan world. The visitors are sure to bring 
some presents or kill a sheep, in keeping with their 
requests and vows. Such places are regarded as cen- 
ters of supplication for incurable maladies, mental 
and physical deformities, sterility, poverty, failure in 
business, and to gain love and favor. The water, 
the soil, the leaves, the fruits, the shadows of the 
trees, the wind and the sun of those places, are be- 
lieved to have miraculous power. Such places are 
guarded by dervishes. 



DERVISHES AND MUFTIES. 59 

Some haughty sheikhs shut themselves in one of 
these sacred places and never go out of their walls 
for fifteen, twenty, thirty years. These "Fathers" 
are the living saints of the present age, and all the 
wealthy citizens and the eminent visitors are expected 
to go and kiss the skirts of his mantle and put their 
presents under his cushion. Even the greatest men 
would not sit in his presence but by his permission, 
and that on bended knees ; and never talk freely, 
only answer his questions, and that very slowly and 
reverently ; never smoke or drink coffee but by his 
special favor. These and their followers have a very 
great influence upon the transactions of the Govern- 
ment and private affairs of the sultans and their min- 
isters. As a rule they are not so self-denying and 
abstinent as they profess to be. 

4. Mufties are the men who alone have authority 
to apply Mohametan law to the practical transactions 
of daily life. They have the privilege to consult 
with the former books and extract their legal decrees 
from them. The following examples will illustrate 
their mode of administering the law : 

A camel driver was once so angry with his camel 
that he swore to sell her for one mite by the first 
opportunity in the nearest city. After his anger was 
over he felt sorry for the oath he had made, but 
could not see any lawful way to escape from it. 
While in deep meditation he was advised by a friend 
to apply to the mufti of the town to see whether he 
could show a right way to settle this trouble. He 
went and stated the case. The mufti said, "Find a 



60 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

cat and tie it to the tail of the camel and take them 
into the market place and wait for the buyers. When 
they ask the price say, 'The camel is for one mite, 
and the cat is for a thousand piastres, but I don't sell 
them separately.' If they buy them for this price 
you will lose nothing; if they don't buy you will be 
free from your oath." 

Another man came to a mufti and said hesitatingly, 
"My lord, while feeding in the pasture your ox hit 
and killed mine, and I came to ask your excellency 
whether you are obliged to repair my loss or note" 
The mufti, shaking his head as if feeling very sorry, 
opened the hand-book of the law and read with a loud 
voice the proposition that "the action of the animal 
is null," and turning to the man said, "My son, they 
were both mute animals and could not realize what 
they did. I am sorry for the loss, but the law, as 
you have heard, does not oblige me to undertake the 
responsibility. Do not be grieved ; whatsoever hap- 
pens it is from God. Your ox was destined from 
eternity to die in this way. Neither you nor I could 
change it." The man returned hastily and said, 
"Oh ! I beg your pardon,- my lord, it was my ox that 
killed yours, and I was confused in my haste and 
made the mistake." The pious mufti, with a 
changed face and tone, said, "Wait a little; the 
question has got confused. I must consult with the 
larger book." 

When Sultan Aziz, the dethroned and murdered uncle 
of the present Sultan, intended to visit Europe, a 
puzzling difficulty arose in regard to the demands of the 



DERVISHES AND MUFTIES. 61 

Mohametan law that the soil upon which a Moslem sov- 
ereign may tread becomes a possession of Islam, and 
as the Giaour princes of Frankistan (Europe) could 
hardly be expected to submit to such a demand, there 
should be found some way to fulfil the law and enable 
the Sultan to carry out his intention. The leading 
religious authorities therefore held a solemn meeting 
in the palace to discuss the unprecedented subject. 
After much consideration one of them is said to 
have suggested the plan of preparing shoes for the 
Sultan having a layer of Turkish soil under them so 
that he could walk always upon his own country and 
not upon other lands. This plan came very noar be- 
ing agreed upon, when a brighter mufti said, "It 
would be more glorious for our religion to let the 
Sultan possess those countries and on his departure to 
make presents of them to their former owners." 
This was unanimously approved and offered to the 
Sultan. 



CHAPTER VII. 

GEOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF ARMENIA. 

1. Biblical References of Armenia. Armenia is 
a high table land on the southern slope of the Cau- 
causus, between the Caspian- and Black seas and 
Mesopotamia. Its boundaries have varied at differ- 
ent times of its history. It is believed by the great- 
est majority of the Biblical scholars to be the first 
seat of the human race, and also the cradle of 
mankind after the deluge. The four rivers men- 
tioned in the second chapter of Genesis : Pison 
(the present Joruk that runs to the Black Sea), 
Gihon (the present Arax that runs to the Caspian 
Sea), Tigris and Euphrates (both run to the Per- 
sian Gulf), have their sources in the highlands of 
Ararat, Armenia. According to the modern critics, 
Armenia was formerly called Ararat, after the name 
of that illustrious mountain, about 17,000 feet high, 
upon which the ark of Noah rested after the abate- 
ment of the waters. The fertile soil, the magnifi- 
cent scenery, the mild and healthy climate, the 
large rivers, and the "one thousand sources" of 
pure waters, make it worthy to be called the "Gar- 
den of Eden." 

Other Biblical references in connection with 
Armenia: In II. Kings, 19:37, and Isa., 37:38, we 
notice that the sons of Sennacharib, the Assyr- 
ian monarch, after killing their father (681 B. 
C), "escaped into the land of Armenia." Again 

62 



SKETCHES OF ARMENIA. 63 

in Ezek., 27:14 and 38:6, Armenia is indicated 
under the name of Togarmah, the great grandson of 
Noah, to whom the Armenians carry their descend- 
ance, as furnishing Tyre with horses and mules, a 
product for which it is still noted. Tigranes I., the 
celebrated Armenian king, is said to have been an 
ally of Cyrus the Great in overthrowing the Baby- 
lonians and thus in liberating the Jews from their 
seventy years' captivity. A foreshadow of this 
event is indicated by the prophet Jeremiah (51:27- 
29; also 50:41, 42): "Call together against her 
the kingdoms of Ararat, Minnie and Ashkanaz," etc. 

2. About the Origin of the Armenian Nation 
there are two different opinions. The one, so long 
cherished by the Armenians themselves, is that their 
ancestor, Haig, the son of Togarmah and the fifth 
generation from Noah, a hero, and a worshiper of 
the true Jehovah, lived in Babylonia, where one of 
the giants, coming into power, called himself Bel or 
Baal and claimed fur himself the divine worship. 
Haig did not recognize him, and after slaying him in 
a struggle left the country and fled with his men to 
the mountainous regions on the north, and established 
there a principality which was named Hai or Haiga- 
zian, the title which Armenians still use for them- 
selves. The name Armenian is supposed to be given 
by foreigners, after the name of the seventh great 
Armenian ruler, Aram. 

The other opinion lately brought forward is that 
the Armenian nation, belonging to the Aryan race, 
came from the north, from Caucasia, and did not 



64 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

occupy the country before the seventh century B. C. 
They followed the track of the Medes, owing to the 
gradual decline of the Assyrian Empire. The argu- 
ments in favor of this theory are the facts that the 
Armenians in their physiognomy and natural con- 
struction and in their traditions and language have 
close connection and resemblance with other Aryan 
nations, which would be the contrary if they had an 
Assyrian or Chaldean origin. The Armenian lan- 
guage has not the slightest resemblance of the Se- 
mitic branch, Assyrian, Chaldean, Phoenician, 
Hebrew and Arabic; while many original words and 
other characteristics of the language show the evi- 
dent identity with the Indo-Germanic (European) 
branch — for instance, Mayer, mother; Douster, 
daughter; Hair, hair; Vod, foot; Gow, cow; Luce, 
light; Dour, door; Gadou, cat; Bardes, paradise; 
Dev, day; Ash, ass; Anoun, noun, and many others. 

3. Armenia According to the Ancient Foreign 
Historians. In the famous inscriptions of the 
Achsemanides (the ancient Persian monarchs, as 
Darius, Hystaspes, Xerxes, Artaxerxes, and others) 
in Persepolis (the ancient Persian capital of the said 
dynasty and afterward ruined by Alexander the 
Great) the name of Armenia is found written in 
various forms, and the pictures of Armenian tribu- 
taries are represented as marching after the Cappa- 
docians to render homage to the great Persian king; 
the probable date, six centuries before Christ. 

Herodotus, the oldest Greek historian, born 484 
B. C, also mentions the absorption of the Armenian 



SKETCHES OF ARMENIA. 65 

kingdom in that of Darius, and the exaction of a 
tribute of four hundred talents. 

Xenophon, the celebrated Greek general, histo- 
rian and philosopher, born 445 B. C, in his account 
of the adventurous retreat of the Greeks in the 
East, known in history as "The Retreat of the Ten 
Thousand," throws much light upon the ancient Ar- 
menians and Kurds. 

Armenia was included in the conquests of Alexan- 
der the Great, 320 B. C, and after his death at the 
partition of his kingdom Armenia was submitted to 
the Seleucidse of Syria. But in 190 B. C. she re- 
volted against the Syrian King, Antiochus the Great, 
and gained her independence through the aid of the 
Parthian king, Mithridates I., who appointed his 
brother, Valarsaces, over Armenia. This was the 
beginning of the second period of the Armenian 
Kingdom. 

4. The Four Periods of the Armenian King- 
dom. The first period, beginning with Haig and end- 
ing at the time of Seleucidse, embraces about 22 
centuries. The first part of this period is legend- 
ary, or rather, unknown. The second period begins 
with Valarsaces, 190 B. C, and goes until 390 A. D., 
embracing a period of nearly 600 years. The great- 
est event of this period is the evangelization of the 
whole nation, about which the reader will find a con- 
cise* information in the next chapter. The greatest 
king of this period was Tigranes II., who was able 
to fight with the Roman rulers. After him Tacitus, 
the historian, s*ays the Armenians were almost always 



66 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

at war with the Romans through hatred, and with the 
Parthians through jealousy, until the two great ene- 
mies prevailing over Armenia divided it between 
themselves, 390 A. D. 

Between the second and the third periods, about 
500 years, the Armenians were subjected partly to 
the Roman or Greek Empire and partly to the Per- 
sian kingdom and Mohametan caliphate. 

The third period begins at 859 A. D. and comes to 
its end at 1045 A. D., thus embracing about 200 
years. 

The fourth period of the Armenian independence 
(1045-1393) was confined to Cilicia. Ruben, a rela- 
tive of the last king of the third period, escaped into 
Cilicia and established the Rubenian kingdom, hav- 
ing the city of Sis for his capital. The mountainous 
situation of Cilicia helped the Armenians to keep 
their independence until 1393, when Leon VI., the 
last king of this dynasty, an exile by the Mohametan 
caliphate, died at Paris, France, and was buried in 
the Cathedral at St. Denis. Zeitoun of the present 
day is the last spark of this local independence. 

According to the above statements the Armenian 
Kingdom began at twenty -fourth century B. C. and 
ended at fourteenth century A. D., thus embracing 
a period of nearly 3,800 years with about 600 years' 
intervals of subjection, during which time they were 
governed by provincial system, which can not be 
called total subjection with the present meaning of 
the word. During the last centuries Armenia be- 
came gradually divided between Turkey, Russia and 



SKETCHES OF ARMENIA. 67 

Persia. The Ottoman Turks nominally conquered 
Armenia, but until recent times (1847) it was prac- 
tically under various Kurdish Sheiks, or chiefs. 

The present number of the Armenians is supposed 
to be over four millions: 2,500,00 in Turkey, 1,500,- 
000 in Russia and 150,000 in Persia. It was over 
twelve millions when subjugated by the Mohametans, 
but reduced to one-third by unceasing persecutions 
and frequent massacres, about which read the subse- 
quent chapters. 



CHAPTER Yin. 

THE ARMENIAN CHURCH. 

1. Pre-Christian Religion of Armenia. From 
the ancient Armenian literature, consisting of national 
songs, only a few quotations are left, and the earli- 
est inscriptions on the great citadel rock of Van 
have not yet been satisfactorily made out. What we 
understand from the authorities existing is that the 
Armenians, before Christianity, worshiped the heav- 
enly bodies, the sun, the moon and the stars, and the 
fire, like other surrounding nations. The names of 
many places and persons, still in use, are the various 
derivations of the names of these deities. The relics 
of those ages of heathenism, however, show that 
their idolatry was not of the coarser and abominable 
sort. So far as we know, polygamy, human sacrifice 
and immoral practices in worship were not introduced 
nor practiced among the Armenians ; on the other 
hand, the sacredness of family life, the fidelity in 
marriage, the obedience to parents, national enthu- 
siasm, attachment to the " fatherland," social habits, 
industry, peacefulness, hospitality, and most of all 
religious'zeal and piety — still prevailing characteristics 
of the race — are traced back to those remote ages. 
Haig, the supposed ancestor of the nation, is described 
as " the eagle of the mountains of Ararat," the first 
hero w T ho ever declared himself for freedom and con- 
science. His grandson, Aramais, who has built stores 

68 



THE ARMENIAN CHURCH. 69 

of luxuries for himself, is condemned for gluttony, 
and his hateful character was put into a proverb and 
passed through generations. The seventh ruler from 
Haig, Ara the Beautiful (the son of Aram, after 
whom the nation was named " Armenian "), was 
highly praised, not ouly for his personal beauty but 
chiefly for his fidelity to his nation and temperate 
firmness against the worldly and impure intentions of 
the Assyrian Queen Semiramis (Shamiram), even at 
the expense of his life, which he lost while bravely 
fighting with the hordes of this ancient Jezebel. 
Armenian virgins are described as gathering in the 
Temple of the Goddess of Parity and singing the 
virtues of virginity and matrimonial fidelity. Herip- 
simian virgins fled to Armenia as the safest shelter to 
preserve their honor against the vicious tyranny of 
the Roman rulers. Santookhd, the only daughter of 
the Armenian King in the first century A. D., was 
converted to Christianity by the Apostle Thaddeus, 
declined all the glories of a wordly crown, and in 
spite of the appeals, promises and threatenings of 
her idolatrous father, kept the true faith until her 
innocent blood, together with that of her apostle, 
was shed on the beautiful plains of Shavarshan, 
where roses and lilies are believed to bloom out of 
her blood. These were the ideals of the Armenian 
nation, even before Christianity was fully accepted 
among them. 

2. Evangelization of the Armenian Nation. Chris- 
tianity was undoubtedly introduced among the 
Armenians early in the second century of our era, 



70 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

and towards the end of the third century it was 
officially proclaimed as the national religion of the 
country. According to the traditions of the Armen- 
ian church, the Armenian King Abcarius, having a 
chronic malady, and hearing about the miracles of 
Jesus, sent special messengers to him with a letter, 
and invited the Saviour to come and live in his capi- 
tal Edessa (the present Ourfa) and be safe from the 
enmity of Jewish authorities. Our Lord, the tradi- 
tion continues, highly appreciated this kind feeling 
of hospitality, but as he could not go himself he 
promised to send one of his apostles after his resur- 
rection, which he did by sending Thaddeus, called 
the Apostle of Armenia. Nobody can tell how 
much truth or probability there is in this tradition, 
but that Thaddeus and Bartholomew were sent to the 
northeastern regions and established there Christian 
churches, and that among the Armenians many con- 
verted Christians were persecuted and some churches 
were destroyed through the influences of the great 
anti-Christian emperors of the Roman commonwealth, 
are historical facts. Still the general evangelization 
of Armenia dates towards the end of the third 
century. 

The historical founder of the Armenian church 
was Saint Gregore "the Illuminator," an Armenian 
prince, related to King Tiridates, who during the 
first part of his reign was a great persecutor of " the 
new faith transplanted from Judea." The young 
prince Gregore, resigning his wordly position, conse- 
crated himself to the enlightenment of his people 



THE ARMENIAN CHURCH. 71 

in spite of all the difficulties and severe persecutions 
he suffered from the people and the king. Tiridates 
being very anxious to change his mind and course, 
shut him in a dungeon for several years, but could 
not prevent the rapid progress of the flame of Chris- 
tianity which was already consuming the remains of 
the pagan ages. The most cruel thing attributed to 
Tiridates was his killing some maiden refugees, who, 
persecuted by the Soman emperor, had fled to 
Armenia for shelter. His remorse and shame of this 
guilt was so strong that he is related to have lost his 
mind for some time, until one night in his dream he 
saw the graves of the said martyrs illuminated by a 
bright light, and upon this vision he at once released 
Saint Gregore and was baptized by him with all his 
subordinates, and proclaimed Christianity to be the 
religion of his dominions. Soon churches were 
established and the visionary light which was believed 
to illumine the graves of the martyrs was spread 
over the country; and at the very site of that heav- 
enly light a magnificent church was erected by the 
name of " Echmiadzin, " the Descent of the Only 
Begotten, which is until this day the most sacred 
headquarter of the Armenian church and the seat of 
the highest religious authority called "Catholicos of 
the Whole Armenians." (276 A. D.) 

Saint Gregore, the Illuminator, being consecrated 
Bishop of Armenia in 302 A. D., was the first Catho- 
licos or father of that sacred seat, and uninterrupted 
succession is kept until this day. The present head 
of the Armenian church is His Holiness Muoerditch 



?2 Islam, turkey' and Armenia. 



Khrimian, the honored and the beloved Archbishop. 
The Bible was translated into the Armenian language 
early in the fifth century by Mesrob, who also 
invented and introduced the present alphabet, com- 
posed of thirty-six letters. (Three more letters 
were introduced afterwards for foreign sounds.) 

3. The Relation of the Armenian and Greek 
Churches. Though Christianity was introduced first 
among the Jews and the Greeks, the Armenian church 
has the honor of bein^ << the First National Church 
in Christendom. " Noth withstanding her national 
independence, she acknowledged the church universal 
and conducted herself in unity with the sister churches 
in the East, the principal one of which was the 
Greek church. St. Gregore, the Illuminator, was 
trained and even ordained in the Greek school at 
Csesaria, and was authorized to represent the Armen- 
ian branch of "the Church Universal" in the gen- 
eral councils. The early history of the Christian 
church shows that the Armenian delegates of these 
councils had their own share in the discussions of 
various theological and ecclesiastical subjects; so 
much that the Western delegates and the Bishop of 
Constantinople, and even the Emperor Constantine 
himself, could not help to admire and appreciate their 
superior intellect and zeal for the interest of the 
church. Especially at the celebrated discussions of 
Arius' doctrine against the divine nature of our 
Saviour, the Armenian bishops, as opponents to that 
heresy, expressed the greatest zeal for the preserva- 
tion of the old orthodox doctrine. And the Necean 



THE ARMENIAN CHURCH. 73 

creed that was arranged as a protest and defense 
against the erroneous teaching of Arius was at once 
adopted by the Armenian church and used in her 
worships until this day. Saint Gregore, the Illumi- 
nator, added to it some sentences in order to empha- 
size its general spirit. 

The Council of Chalcedon, 451 A. D., the Armenian 
bishops could not attend on account of the Persian 
persecutions, and not being contented with the reso- 
lution of that Council in regard to the number of the 
natures of our Saviour, refused its decrees in 536. 
Accepting the Mono-physical Doctrine (that is, in our 
Lord's person the divine and the human united to 
one unseparable nature), she proclaimed herself inde- 
pendent of the Greek church, and since then had no 
formal union with her, although she regards her as 
a " sister church." This separation, in spite of its 
political disadvantages, has proved beneficial for the 
maintainance of the purity of the doctrines and the 
practice of the Armenian church. 

The seven sacraments of the early church, as mass, 
confession, absolution, unction, matrimony, baptism 
and eucharist, though practiced in the Armenian 
church, are rather formal than doctrinal, as is proved 
by her susceptibility to internal reformation. The 
following hymn, composed by Nerses the Graceful, 
the Armenian Archbishop who lived in the twelfth 
century (about 400 years before the Reformation of 
Martin Luther), and sung in the Armenian church 
until this day, is one among many that shows the 
doctrine and spirit of that ancient church : 



74 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

O, dawning brightness ! Sun of righteousness ! Shine forth upon 

me. 
Fatherly issue (spirit), in my heart renew pleasing words for 

thee. 
Treasure of bounties, thine hidden riches grant my soul to see. 
Open mercy-door to confessing soul, with heavenlies rank me. 
Thou one in three, Carer all that be, on me have mercy. 
Arise Lord helping, raise the slumbering, like angels to be, 
Eternal Father, Co-existent Son, ever ghost holy, 
Loving name Jesus, with thy love bruise my heart-stony. 




CHAPTER IX. 

RELIGIOUS PERSECUTIONS OF THE PAST AGES. 

After conversion to Christianity the history of the 
Armenian nation has become largely the history of 
the church; for, being situated beyond the frontiers 
of Christendom, they suffered constant persecution 
from the surrounding heathen nations, and the State 
was obliged to defend the church at anv cost. 

1. Persecution From Persians. Towards the 
middle of the fifth century, as it was mentioned in 
the first chapter, Armenia had lost its national inde- 
pendence, and one part of it was ruled by Persians, 
though in a provincial system. The Persians who 
were bigoted Zoroastrian fire worshipers, aimed at 
this time the conquest and the conversion of the 
world. Accordingly, in 450 A. D. the Persian King 
dictated a letter to the Armenian princes setting 
forth the superiority of fire worship to Christianity, 
and inviting the whole nation to accept it. Upon 
this threatening invitation a great council was held, 
in which clergy and laymen sat together and a unani- 
mous reply of refusal was decided upon. The exact 
copy of that remarkable answer was preserved by one 
of the bishops who signed it. After intelligibly 
refuting the false arguments of the Persian King 
against Christianity, they said in conclusion : " From 
this faith no one can move us, neither angels nor 
men, neither sword nor fire, nor water nor any deadly 

75 



76 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

punishment. If you allow us our faith we will 
accept no other lord in place of you, but we will 
accept no God in place of Jesus Christ; there is no 
other Grod beside him. If after this solemn confes- 
sion you ask anything more of us, lo, we are before 
you and our lives are in your power; from you tor- 
ments, from us submission; your sword, our necks; 
we are not better than those who are gone before us? 
who gave up their possessions and their life for this 
testimony." 

The haughty King of Persia, being enraged by the 
boldness of this reply, ordered an army of 200,000 
men against this small country, which stood alone in 
front of a vast power. The battle, often called the 
Armenian Marathon, was fought on the plain of 
Avarair under Mt. Ararat. In this desperate strug- 
gle the much smaller army of the Armenians was 
defeated, and their leader Vartan, the Brave, was 
killed, but the surprising resistance offered by rich 
and poor, by men, women and children, convinced 
the King of Persia that he might crush the Armen- 
ians, but could never make fire-worshipers of them; 
and was obliged to admit the declaration of the High 
Priest of fire worship, that " These people have put 
on Christianity, not like a garment, but like their 
own flesh and blood. They are not afraid of fetters 
and torments, nor care for property, and choose 
death rather than life. Who can stand against them ?" 

2. The Bravery of the Armenian Women During 
This Persecution. The above mentioned historian 
Bishop, who was an eye-witness of this terrible war- 



RELIGIOUS PERSECUTIONS OF THE PAST AGES. 77 

fare that reduced the country almost to a desert, 
describes the condition of the Armenian women at 
that time, saying: "I cannot enumerate all the 
wives of the heroes, both of those who were in 
fetters and those who had fallen in battle. All of 
them being kindled by a holy ambition, put on the 
same virtue of fidelity. The delicately reared women 
went untiringly to the houses of prayer on foot and 
bare-footed, asking by vows that they might be 
enabled to endure their great affliction. The ever- 
lasting Psalms were the words of their lips, and 
their complete comfort was in the reading of the 
prophets. With their eyes they saw the spoiling of 
their goods, and with their ears they heard the moans 
of suffering of their dear ones. With prayers they 
opened the closed doors of heaven, and with holy 
petitions caused the angels of redemption to descend. 
With their hands they worked and were fed, and the 
pensions granted them by the court they sent year 
by year to their husbands and sons for their comfort. 
The snows of many winters melted, the springs 
came, the life-loving men saw and rejoiced; but they 
never could see those for whom they longed. To 
outsiders they appeared mourning and sorrowful 
widows, but in their own souls they were adorned 
with heavenly love. Their desires and prayers to 
God were only that they might finish their course 
with faith and courage, filled with heavenly love, 
even as they had begun.*' 

3. Persecutions From the Mohametans. After 
the fall of the Persian kingdom in the seventh cen- 



78 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

tury Armenia was invaded by the Saracens, the 
Mohametan warriors, for about 200 years. The his- 
tory of this time was not brighter than any period of 
religious persecutions the Armenians had suffered. 
In the choice of Islam, or sword, or low subjection, 
Armenians have always chosen one of the last two 
proposals. While the fury of Islam was overwhelm- 
ing Persia, Turkey and India were progressing with 
wholesale conversions of races and tribes. The 
Armenians proved themselves to be the only excep- 
tion, and to break off these rapid and sure conquests. 
If they could not be permitted to live for their friends 
and country they would prefer death to Islam, hence 
the saying prevailed among Mohametans as a proverb 
that, "The old obstinate Armenian will not become 
Musliman." 

After the withdrawal of the Saracens, owing to 
the fall of the caliphate in Bagdad, the Armenians 
gained their independence under the third period of 
their kingdom. But the land could not gain her rest 
from the repeated invasions of proselyted Moslem 
tribes, especially the Tartars. By the short-sighted 
policy of the Greek emperors, the Armenian king- 
dom was overthrown in 1045 A. D., and thus the 
whole eastern frontier was laid open to the invasion 
of the Seljouk Tartars, who might have been success- 
fully resisted by the hardy mountaineers of Armenia. 
The result was fatal, both to Armenia, which was 
overrun, and to the Greek empire; for in the battle 
of 1071 A. D. the Emperor Eomanus IV. was 
defeated and made prisoner by Alp Arslan, and the 



RELIGIOUS PERSECUTIONS OF THE PAST AGES. 79 

whole of Asia Mioor was left to the mercy of the merci- 
less Seljoukian Tartars, who, as most bigoted 
Mohametans, scourged the country for 200 years. 

Genghis Khan, the Mongolian invader, early in the 
thirteenth century, dealt comparatively better with 
the Armenians, which the Mohametans attributed to 
the influence of his wife, who was a Christian. But 
after the overthrow of his temporary dominion the 
Armenians suffered more from the vengeance of the 
Egyptian caliphate. The exact cause of this ven- 
geance was the hospitality the Armenians showed to 
the Crusaders, sheltering and feeding them a whole 
winter on their way to the Holy Land to recover it 
from the hands of Mohametans. The cruelties of 
Timourlane, the Tartar, devastated Armenia at the 
close of the fourteenth century; his bloody soldiers 
being tired of killing, buried many Armenians alive, 
or drove them into the rivers, and many children and 
women together were drowned. In 1605 Shah Abbas, 
of Persia, forcibly transplanted 12,000 Armenian 
families to his country as slaves to serve the good 
pleasure of the Mohametan Persians. From that 
time on the Armenians have suffered continuous and 
severer persecutions from the Kurds and the Turks, 
the description of which is given in subsequent 
chapters. 

Armenia, owing to its geographical situation, has 
always been the battlefield of the eastern and western 
invasions. Her importance in the history of civiliza- 
tion and the Christian church was that, she being at 
\he frontier of Christendom, has done much in check- 



80 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

ing the fury of the barbarous invaders, and more 
perhaps in suffering for the freedom and religion of 
their western brothers, who, had it not been for this 
providential stronghold, would not be able to have 
time and facility in developing their civilization, both 
secular and ecclesiastical. 




CHAPTER X. 

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ARMENIAN RACE. 

1. Armenians Are an Exceedingly Religious Peo- 
ple. You cannot find a single member in that com- 
munion who has not been baptized in the sacred 
fount of the church and in the name of the Holy 
Trinity ; not one in ten thousand whose marriage is 
not performed under the authority of the church. 
If there be any they are refused to approach the 
Lord's table and their children are not admitted to 
baptism, and their dead are not buried with christian 
ceremonies. In every Armenian town the best build- 
ing is the church, with the sign of the cross on its 
top. The choicest lamb in the llock is offered at the 
threshold of the holy convent; the highest seat in 
the house and the best portion on the table is for the 
priest. The most secret affairs and sorrows are 
entrusted to the fatherly confidence of the pastor. 
On each visit all the members of the family are 
glad to hold his hand and reverently kiss it while he 
utters " God bless you." The aged men and women, 
in many instances deprived of sight, with remarkable 
regularity attend the services in the church, which 
are performed twice a day, very early in the morning 
and late in the afternoon, repeating silently all the 
way the beautiful psalms which they learned in their 
youth. When they meet a friend on their way from 

81 



82 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

the church the ready blessing of their mouth is 
" God be merciful unto your soul." 

On Sunday mornings the great assembly of men 
and women in the church reverently stand up while 
the priest is officiating the holy sacrament ; and the 
children, arrayed in white robes with red crosses on 
them, and holding lights in their hands, turn around 
the main altar sweetly singing: "Lift up your 
heads, O, ye gates, and be ye lifted up, ye everlast- 
ing doors; and the king of glory shall come in." In 
the presence of such a scene one is reminded of 
the heavenly seraphin and cherubin which turn day 
and night around the throne of the Almighty. 

2. The Passion Week in the Armenian Church. 
After celebrating the glorious entrance of our Saviour 
into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and following the 
events of the first part of the week, on Thursday 
afternoon twelve priests and deacons sit together 
before the main altar, and imitating the significant 
events of the upper room in Jerusalem, one of them, 
the highest in rank, girds the apron, a sign of 
humility, and approaches the company of twelve, 
and one by one wash their feet, at the same time 
repeating portions of the farewell speech of our 
Lord. One of them taking Peter's part seems too 
humble to let the Great Master wash his feet, but 
being persuaded of its necessity, submits himself to 
the will of the Master. 

At midnight of the same evening, while the 
scene of the crucifixion is represented with ideal 
solemnity and sincere piety, all the candles are put 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ARMENIAN RACE. 83 

out, and Mary, the afflicted mother, clinging to the 
foot of the cross, begins to weep and wail through 
the melodious voice of the best singer in the choir. 
All the women in the galleries burst into tears of 
grief, and words of repentance are heard on every 
side until the blessed mother submits herself to the 
divine will, and the last word of the bleeding Saviour 
is heard upon the cross, " It is finished. " The name 
of this ceremonious night is " Come and Weep." 

When the service of the crucifixion is over, about 
two hours before sunrise, many people go right away 
to the cemetery and put candles over all the graves 
in order to illuminate the valley of death. The out- 
ward appearance, how impressive and silent! the 
spiritual meaning is more instructive and full of com- 
fort. The sweet remembrance of the passed friends 
is more sweet with the meditation of "the new sep- 
ulchre in the garden." The rest of the day passes 
in reverent quiet. 

The Easter services begin on Saturday evening, 
and at the end of the long and ceremonious services 
the officiating priest gives the good tidings of the 
day: "Christ has risen from the dead," and the 
attendants respond: "Blessed is the resurrection of 
Christ." Friends meeting with each other during the 
three days of Easter use the above two sentences for 
their salutation. The priest is sure to visit each 
home in his parish, holding a very brief service in 
each. 

3. Armenians Have Always Been Industrious and 
Progressive, and kept the highest position among the 



84 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

Eastern races in regard to their ability in commerce, 
trade, agriculture and letters. Their language, with 
its somewhat difficult pronunciation, excels all the 
dialects of the Bast, and in its syntax and word- 
making capacity equals Greek or Latin. Its adapta- 
tion to the Christian ideas is remarkable. It is a 
proverbial saying that " the Arabic is fit to swear, 
Kurdish to quarrel, Turkish to curse, while the 
Armenian is to pray. 5 ' Soon after the conversion of 
the nation to Christianity, the Armenian young men 
flocked into the highest institutions at Athens, Con- 
stantinople, Edessa and other centers of education. 
While Mohamet was spending his solitary hours in 
shaping the immense mouths of the ugliest demons, 
or describing the devil-headed fruits of the infernal 
plantation, the Armenians were struggling for pros- 
perity and development. Upon the fertile land and 
among the largest rivers they always clung to the 
plough, and led their flocks in the green pastures of 
Armenia. Grains and varieties of fruits were 
exchanged for the other necessities of life, and their 
commercial enterprises extended to the foreign coun- 
tries. In spite of ceaseless persecutions and spoils, 
Armenia has always had her princes, wealthy and 
able merchants and very skillful traders. Each father 
regarded his essential duty to train his son in his own 
trade and perpetuate the source of wealth. Each 
mother taught her daughter economical housekeep- 
ing and industry. There has been no time in the 
history of Armenia when her children assaulted her 
neighbors, or gave themselves to luxury and idleness. 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ARMENIAN RACE. 85 

After so much trouble and suffering their existence 
and position must and does have some significance. 
4. One of the Characteristics of the Armenian 
People is very strong attachment to the family 
life and "fatherland." The type of the family is 
patriarchal. The old father and mother, with their 
grown sons and their families, sometimes numbering 
altogether forty to sixty, live in the same house, the 
grandfather being the ruler and the grandmother the 
manager. Young and modest brides, being taught 
from their early childhood, are always obedient and 
diligent, too modest to speak aloud before the grand- 
father and elder brothers-in-law. When the. old 
father eats, the brides are eager to wait on him. 
When he wants to go out they bring his out-door 
shoes and help him to put them on and take them off 
when he comes in, and get his good words of bless- 
ing for all these services. When the morning work 
is done and the men leave the house for their field or 
shop the young mother sits beside the cradle and 
sings softly as she sews, knits or spins: 
Awake, and open thy beauteous eyes, my child, my little one! 
Thy mother sees therein her life, her glory and her sun. 
Thou shalt grow up, grow tall and strong, as rises in the air a 

stately palm tree ; how I love thy stature tall and fair! 
The heroes of Mount Ararat, their ghosts shall strengthen thee 

with power and might that thou as brave as Vartan's self 

mayst be. 
Awake and ope thy beauteous eyes, my child, my little one! 
Thy mother sees therein her life, her glory and her sun. 

And no wonder if these first impressions pressed 
upon the mind of the baby and make him attached to 
his " good mother," the " dear home" and " sacred 



86 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

fatherland." He is the joy of his mother, the pro- 
tector of his sister, the lover of his wife, the server 
of his church and the martyr of his fatherland, so 
full of charming scenery and sacred memories. 

The ideal and the highest ambition of the Armen- 
ian is, and always has been, and always will be, Lib- 
erty in his home-land. The accumulation of wealth 
is not their highest desire, though they have rare 
chances and natural ability for that. The luxuries of 
life are not the greatest attraction for them, though 
they have the worst example before their eyes. The 
theory of fatalism has never been a favorite idea 
with the Armenians, though it broods all over Asia. 
The ambition has never stirred them to aggress the 
rights of their neighbors, though they have had 
many chances in their long national life to do so. 
They are, and always have been contented, temperate, 
practical and peaceful. They loved liberty, they 
were always ready to protest against a despotic spirit. 
This spirit of protest caused them to be superficially 
called "Anmiapan," " Discordant," but every free- 
dom-lover knows that 

The path of freedom is thorny all the way, 
So many trials and strifes do happen every day ; 
Too straight and narrow is this world for thee 
If thou art a lover of Liberty. 



CHAPTER XI. 

ARMENIAN CUSTOMS IN MARRIAGE. 

1. The Intended Bride. Among the Armenians 
marriage is at an age earlier than in western coun- 
tries — 19 for boys and 15 for girls may be regarded 
a medium age for marriage. The engagement takes 
place earlier than that, sometimes when the 
couple are too young to understand the meaning of 
"the cradle contract." The parents are the chief 
operators in this. When a boy reaches his fifteenth 
or seventeenth year, his parents, especially the 
mother, the sisters and the aunts, begin to talk 
among themselves about a proper candidate for their 
future bride. Dark and large eyes, long and brown 
hair, rosy cheeks and round face and medium stature 
are desired for her physical qualities ; diligence, 
modesty, manual skill, respectable parentage and 
good name for the moral qualities. The education, 
however, is not regarded essential, especially in the 
interior. In their research for a proper candidate they 
very often carry their mission and consultation beyond 
the borders of the family circle — it may be whispered in 
the church, in the marriage feasts, at the public baths, 
and on the streets. They make unexpected calls to 
the home of the girl under their consideration, the 
object of which is to examine the condition of the 
house and the manners of the girl, etc. When they 

87 



88 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

approve one the subject is taken into more serious 
consideration among all the members of the family, and 
the opinion of the young man is consulted. He is 
too bashful to state his thoughts freely, especially in 
his father's presence, but he finds many ways to ex- 
press himself. The young lady and her family are 
considered formally unaware of the intention, though 
they actually know about the case and prepare them- 
selves to respond to the proposition. The girl has 
less voice than the young man, still her decision can 
not be entirely overlooked. 

2. The Ceremony of Engagement. When the 
friends of the young man give their decision for a 
certain young woman, they send some friends or their 
priest to make the formal proposition and get the 
answer of "the other side." If they get a favorable 
reply a day is appointed for the ceremony of engage- 
ment, when the friends of the young man, associated 
with the priest, go to the home of the young woman 
to perform the ceremony of engagement. The near- 
est friends of both families are there, but neither of 
the couple. After some pell mell conversation, the 
representative of the young man asks the elder mem- 
ber of the girl's family, "Mr. — — , do you know for 
what purpose we came here this evening?" He 
answers, "You are all welcome; what purpose can 
we expect but friendship and brotherly call. You 
know our house is always open for the friends; you 
are a thousand times welcome." "Yes, indeed, we 
are friends, and always welcomed in your house. 
God bless you and your home, but in this visit we 



ARMENIAN CUSTOMS IN MARRIAGE. 89 

have a special purpose, and, the Lord willing, a good 
purpose, and we are sure that you will not disappoint 
us." The girl's friends must never show themselves 
acquainted with the said purpose or anxious for its 
discussion ; therefore, must always repeat the same 
general words of welcome and friendship, until the 
representative of the young man opens the question 

and says, "Mr. , by the will of God we came to 

beg your favor in giving your noble daughter, Mary, 
to your servant, our son James. We expect that 
you will not refuse our proposal and send us away 
disappointed." After some formal hesitation and 
repetitions of the proposal the question is referred to 
the oldest member of the young woman's family, 
who says, "You are welcome a thousand times, if it 
is the Lord's will, may it be blessed for us all." 
This answer being equal to "yes," is responded to 
with great joy and congratulations, and the young 
woman being called in, the presents of the young 
man — pieces of gold coins, heavy embroidered hand- 
kerchiefs, a gold ring, etc. — presented to her. Her 
silent acceptance of these things is regarded the sign 
of her consent for the contract, after which the 
priest rehearses some words of prayer and vows in 
behalf of the contractors, then a good supper is 
served. In larger towns the young man may accom- 
pany the friends for the ceremony of engagement. 
Between the times of engagement and wedding the 
couple do not see nor write to each other — only the 
parents give visits on special days, as Christmas and 
Easter, or other occasions, and send presents to each 



90 ISLAM, TUKKEr AND ARMENIA. 

other. The presents of the groom are expected to be 
more valuable and frequent. The bride is expected 
to furnish the groom and his nearest friends with 
embroideries, stockings and other articles, all made 
by her own hand. Also she has to prepare several 
suits for herself, all to be used after marriage. The 
wedding garments, however, silken and of any color 
but white, are to be prepared by the groom. 

3. The Wedding. The families of the bride and 
groom make special preparations for the wedding and 
invite their relatives and friends and neighbors to 
their respective homes two or three days before the 
marriage. One hundred guests in each home can be 
regarded a moderate estimate. A feast is served in 
both homes on the afternoon of the marriage day, 
after which the family and guests of the groom, all 
with lighted candles in their hands, go to the home 
of the bride "to take the bride," as they say. After 
spending about an hour with the guests there, and 
partaking of "sherbet," (non-alcholic drink) and 
fruits, they take the bride to the home of the groom, 
or to the church, where the religious ceremony is 
performed by the priest. The ceremony takes about 
an hour, and sometimes more. Nobody among the 
friends of the bride except one lady attends the mar- 
riage ceremony in the church, and the members of 
her family do not come to see her in her new home 
within ten to fifteen days, and she does not go to 
visit them before thirty to forty days. 

In various parts of Armenia they have different 
customs, e. g. : In some places each guest brings 



ARMENIAN CUSTOMS IN MARRIAGE. 91 

with her or him a small sum of money or other pro- 
visions to meet the wedding expenses. In some 
places they do not use invitation cards, but send a 
messenger to each friend's house, or distribute pieces 
of candy with a message of u salutations." In 
many places on the marriage-feast day the gates are 
opened to the poor and strangers. The jewelry pre- 
sented to the bride by the groom are pieces of gold 
coins of various value, as $1 to $15 apiece worn as a 
necklace. On the day after the marriage the friends 
bring gifts, such as rugs and copper vessels, and from 
a saucer to a wash-tub. A few days before and 
after the marriage the groom is called by the name 
of "King" and another young man will associate 
him as his " Prime Minister," and a little boy " the 
groom's brother." In many places the bride has to 
wear a veil for months or years after her departure 
from her father's home. The new bride, beginning 
from the engagement day, is not allowed to speak 
before her father-in-law, brothers-in-law and their 
nearest relatives for several months or years after 
the marriage. If they are obliged to tell something 
they either speak into the ears of a child of the 
family, who repeats it aloud, or they themselves 
express it by signs. In the interior, men and women 
do not eat together, especially when there is a 
stranger in the house. 

The Armenian church never allows divorce for any 
cause; only permits separation without re-marriage. 
A god-child can never marry his or her godfather's 
children. The common priests of the Armenian 



92 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

church must be married men before they are ordained, 
but neither the priest nor his wife can marry a sec- 
ond time. 

The marriage feasts are generally accompanied 
with music and singing and fire- works, and similar 
amusements. Once in a Protestant community, when 
they were taking the groom and the bride from the 
church back to the home, they sang on the way, 
" Jesus, I my cross have taken." 



\ P 



CHAPTER XII. 

the Armenians' condition in the first half of 

this century. 

1. The Local Governments. The nature of the 
Turkish Government, especially in the provinces, was 
until very recently somewhat like a feudal system. 
The local beys (noblemen), or sheikhs or pashas, 
had their own arbitrary rule in certain districts, and 
very often would fight with each other, or even with 
the central government. The sultans of the last 
two centuries, being politically impotent and devoted 
to sensual gratifications, abandoned the task of 
administration to the favorites and parasites of the 
palace, who had access to the sale of public function 
as the readiest mode of performing it, and the most 
profitable for themselves. Armenia was not an 
exception to other provinces, but was more unfortu- 
nate in being abandoned to Kurdish authorities. 
The Kurds, supposed to be the descendants of the 
ancient Parthians, are a bloody and semi-savage race, 
nominally governed or rather led by various local 
sheikhs or chiefs, and always plundering the Armen- 
ians and Nestorian Christians, with whom they lived 
for centuries. Most of them belong to the Persian 
sect of Mohametan religion, and some tribes still 
keep the traces of ancient pantheism and fire-worship, 
and even the devil-worship. While the population 

93 



94 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

of Armenia proper was in this condition, other 
Armenians in Lower Armenia and Cilicia were sub- 
jected both to the central government and local Turk- 
ish beys or agas, every one of whom was a king in 
his own circle and dealt with their ray as (subjects) 
as a rule very unjustly and, in many cases, very 
unwisely for themselves. None of these local gov- 
ernors had any project for the future welfare of the 
country. Every one acted as if the end of the 
world was at hand; their motto was, "Impoverish 
the people in order to enrich yourself." If they 
had any activity other than robbing and degrading 
their rayas it was in the line of quarreling with rival 
chiefs at any expense of life and property. At any 
moment the aga of the next town could be expected 
to come with his "seginen" (horsemen) and open a 
dispute with the chief of this town, shed blood, burn 
a part of the town, carry away the herds and flocks, 
spoil the crops and do every harm imaginable. 
Whether defeat or victory, the people always lost, 
and the greatest sufferers were the Armenians. The 
Kurdish or Turkish bey would send word to certain 
Armenian individuals or community, demanding so 
much money or provisions, the denial of which would 
always cost life, honor and property. Very often 
they would capture the sacred utensils of the church 
as a security for the payment of the demanded sum; 
or would take the abbot of the convent a prisoner 
and torture and disgrace him until the ransom was 
sent. When Christmas or Easter approached the 
chief of the town would send for the key of the 



THE ARMENIANS CONDITION. 95 

church, which the poor Christians could not dare to 
refuse, and which they could hardly get back, even 
by offering large sums of money and by begging for 
months. As to the janissaries (nominal soldiers in 
the provinces), it is impossible to describe the hor- 
rible atrocities they have committed. They at any 
time, even late in the evening, would knock at the 
gate of a well-to-do Armenian and demand the 
immediate delivery of so much meat, rice, butter, 
bread and wine, and sometimes worse. The beys 
and their subordinates and sub-subordinates, down to 
the meanest servant would fall upon the helpless 
Christians. This was the general condition of the 
Armenians during the first half of the present 
century. 

2. How Could the Armenians keep their Exist- 
ence. In spite of so many disadvantages — religious, 
political, local, external and internal — the Armenian 
nation, though greatly reduced in number, has pre- 
served its existence as a civilized Christian nation in 
the East. As to how — the chief points are already 
mentioned in one of the preceeding chapters — it was 
through their tenacity to the Christian religion, their 
affinity to the fatherland, their natural abilities and 
moral characteristics. Other reasons which can be 
mentioned in connection with this so-called feudal 
system are as follows : 

(a) Every Christian family, or village, or district, 
was identified by the name of a certain Turkish or 
Kurdish aga or bey or sheikh. When a Moslem met 
an Armenian he would ask him, "What aga's sriaour 



96 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

are you?" as one would say, " Whose horse is 
this?" And the poor Christian, more intelligent 
and less fortunate than a horse, was obliged to reply, 

"I am aga's giaour, sir," and would be dealt 

with according to his relation with the said aga. 
This tyrannical system of using the Christians as 
private property and slaves, for the purchase and 
support of which they paid nothing, would to some 
extent protect the Armenians against public attacks, 
but the main object of this system or protection was 
for the only purpose of worrying them privately, 
which may be illustrated by the following incident, 
which is one of the many that occurred every day: 

The greatest effendi (chief) of a certain town once 
had heard that a certain Armenian bought a small 
garden under the name of a subordinate Moslem, 
whom he bribed to make this arrangement. The 
said effendi sent for this Armenian, on whose arrival 
the following conversation took place: 

Effendi — "Chorbaji (soup-maker; wealthy Ar- 
menians are called by this title of honor), did you 
hear that Allah gave us a new child in these days?" 

Armenian — "Yes, your honor; may Allah grant 
him long life." 

Eff. — "But, you know, it is the custom of our city 
to give some present to new-born children." 

Arm. — (hesitatingly). "Exactly, my lord; the 
treasures of Egypt are worthy to be offered to your 
son." 

Eff. — "Let us see what will your present be for 
him." 



THE ARMENIANS' CONDITION. 97 

Arm. — "Your honor, I sacrifice my life for him; 
but, alas ! what worthy present can be expected 
from a beggar like me ! " 

(Do 

Erf. — "Hum! I heard all about it. You bought 
that field under the name of that rascal, eh?" 

Arm. — "My lord, where shall the slave of your 
door find money enough to buy a field!" 

Eff — "Look here, Chorbaji, I am thinking only 
for your own good. Do you suppose that those 
wolves (other Turkish chiefs) will let you enjoy the 
benefit of your own property? Of course not. I'll 
tell you what to do. You better leave it to our new- 
born child as your present. Why will you buy ca- 
lamity with your own money? If you need anything 
come to me." 

It is not necessary to say that the garden referred 
to was then and there, recorded to the name of the 
future tyrant now in the cradle. 

(6) Armenians were obliged to hold the policy of 
concealment of their wealth, exceeding caution for 
their honor, and to be submissive. If they accumulated 
money, which, owing to their commercial ability and 
the Turks' and Kurds' stupidity, was an easy task, 
they were very careful not to let it be known, but put 
it in an earthen or copper vessel and buried it under 
the ground. In their clothing and houses they were 
very simple, so as not to attract attention. Women 
would wear the most common clothing when out of 
doors, and cover their ornaments under their robes. 
Not only for their property, but also for their honor 
and life they were very cautious. They would never 



98 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

travel alone unless some hired Kurd be with them. 
They would be very careful to close and lock their 
gates and doors early in the evening, and put strong 
iron bars and thick shutters to their small windows. 
They should always act and speak very kindly, even 
to the meanest Turk or Kurd, giving always the 
better side of the road to him ? responding his sal- 
utation with bows or nattering words. If an Armenian 
was insulted or beaten or murdered by Kurds or 
Turks, his friends should keep silent in order not to 
add more horrors upon horrors. The constant coun- 
sel of the parents to their boys was not to go 
among the Moslem boys and not to return 
their bad conduct. There were streets, even quar- 
ters, in the towns where Christians could not dare to 
step. The women and the children were shut in 
their houses ; the pretty girls were clothed like boys 
and wore short hair until their thirteenth year, when 
the poor creatures would be secretly married with 
another child in order to be saved from the assault 
of the brutes in human form. Thus skill, flattery, 
bribery and submission were the only means that 
Armenians could use for their benefit. 

(c) The Turks' and Kurds' oivn Benefit demanded 
the Armenians'' Existence. The Moslem is identified 
with his big turban around a very small and deformed 
head, wide coat, loose and heavy slippers, and a long 
pipe, sitting on his soft cushion, smoking lazily, and 
taking strong coffee frequently, walking very slowly, 
talking unintelligibly, giving his whole attention to 
his harem and kitchen, keeping a separate servant 



THE ARMENIANS' CONDITION. 99 

for each work in the house — one to look after the 
horses, and sometimes with subordinates under his 
command, one to prepare coffee, another to follow 
him and carry his four or five-foot-long pipe, one to 
tell hideous stories to entertain him and his guests, 
another to lead him in his five daily prayers, one to 
carry his child (on the shoulder, and teach him how to 
swear), one to oversee the crops, another to keep their 
record, and one to bring them in, etc. — ten, twenty or 
fifty, gathered in the house and in the harem depend 
upon him for their extravagant living. The endless 
flow of beggars, flatterers, fortune-tellers, good 
dreamers about the chief lady of the harem, guests, 
untimely callers and their horses, donkeys and 
camels — all these idle and gluttonous men and women 
cannot be supported by smoking in the corner of the 
house, or by hearing and telling stories about houris 
(the girls of paradise). There must be a constant 
source of supply. It is the poor Armenian's destiny 
to be the rayah, the pasture of this cursed flock. 
They are Turks' and Kurds' cornfields for eating, for 
selling, for trampling, and for burning. Who wants 
to give up such a support and laborers as the Ar- 
menians? It is true, occasionally they thin them out 
by the sword and reduce to poverty the remainder, 
but they are not so unwise as to exterminate them 
and be obliged to work themselves. 

The Turk could not and can not exist without his 
non-Moslem subjects, and he is well aware of it. 



CHAPTEE XIII. 

SKETCH OF TURKISH HISTORY. 

1. The Origin of the Turks. The Turks are sup- 
posed to be identical with the many and extensive 
Tartaric tribes scattered over the plains and table- 
lands of Central and Western Asia, pastoral in their 
occupations, warlike in disposition, plundering in 
habits, and nomadic in their mode of life. Their 
ancestors appear to have been known to the ancients 
by the general name of Scythians. 

Like most other nationalities, the Turkish tribe 
have a legendary history which goes back to remote 
antiquity. They claim to be descended from an 
individual named Turk, a supposed grandson of 
Japheth. But their authentic history commences at 
a more recent date; for it was not till the fifth or 
sixth century, A. D., that Europe had an}^ knowledge 
of the name and nation of the Turk. About that 
period, having migrated westward from Central Asia, 
the barren table-lands of Mongolia, they spread over 
the vast steppes now bearing the name of Turkestan. 

In connection with the Armenian history the name 
of Seljouk Tartars or Turks are mentioned, in order 
to distinguish them from the Ottoman or Osmanli 
Turk, the present nation designated by that name. 
The reader is requested to remember that the Seljouks 
were first settled in Khorasan, the Persian province, 

100 



SKETCH OF TURKISH HISTORY. 101 

and founded an independent sovereignty that, under 
the three vigorous rulers Alp Arslan, Melik Shah 
and Togrul Bey, rapidly enlarged its bounds, as to 
include the whole of Persia, Armenia, Syria and the 
greater part of Asia Minor. The period of the Sel- 
joukian kingdom in Asia Minor lasted about 250 years 
(1045-1299 A. D.). The Ottoman, or the present 
Turks, are their kindreds under a different dynasty or 
government, as will be seen elsewhere. 

2. The Conversion of the Turks to Mohametan- 
ism. The religion of these Tartaric tribes, if they 
had any, seems to be very coarse heathenism ; owing 
to their nomadic life and savage disposition they could 
not have fixed temples and systematic mode of wor- 
ship, and regular religious organization of priesthood 
and teaching. In their semi-savage career, not much 
different from the wild animals, they did not show 
any sign of having been in contact with early Chris- 
tianity, Hellenistic revival of letters and the European 
civilization ; they had no literature or history until they 
met with the Saracens, the Mohametan warriors of 
Arabia, and were conquered and converted to Islam in 
Persia in the seventh century. Finding this new religion 
very suitable to their nature and habits they entered 
the service of the caliphs of Bagdad and swelled the' 
Mohametan armies till the degenerate commander of 
the faithful (caliph of Bagdad) was compelled to resign 
his temporal power to the new converts, who pre- 
tended to respect the spiritual authority of the cali- 
phate. Salur, the first Tartaric Mohametan chief of 
importance, called his tribe "Turk-iman,'* the Turks 



102 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

of the Faith, to distinguish them from their brethren 
who continued in heathenism. 

The Seljoukians,who were the descendents of Turk- 
imans, and were called after the name of their leader 
Suljouk, established in Persia aud surpassed the other 
Moslems of their age by fanaticism and fierce intoler- 
ance, and thereby provoked the famous crusades of 
the western Christian nations. After the fall of the 
Bagdad caliphate, Syria and Jerusalem fell into the 
hands of the Egyptian caliphate, but Seljouks, wrest- 
ing Jerusalem for a time from the dominion of the 
latter, and dealing worse with the resident and pil- 
grim Christians, caused Europe to be armed for the 
deliverance of the oppressed, 

3. The rise of the Ottoman or Osmanli Turks. 
At the death of Melik Shah, the Seljoukian sovereign, 
the unity of his vast dominions was ended in conse- 
quence of several caudiclates claiming the throne, and 
thus became divided into various principalities, until 
the irruption of the Mongols under the successors of 
Genghis Khan changed the entire political situation 
of the East and everywhere broke the power of the 
Seljouk Turks, and paved the way for the rise of 
their Ottoman successors, the present Turks. 

About the middle of the thirteenth century another 
Turkish tribe, driven forward by the Mongol invaders, 
left their camping ground in Khorasan and wandered 
into Armenia in search of pasturage for their flocks. 
After seven years of exile, deeming the opportunity 
favorable to return, they set out to their ancient pos- 
sessions; but while crossing the Euphrates the horse 



SKETCH OF TURKISH HISTORY. 103 

of their leader fell with him and he perished in the 
river. Upon this accident the tribe was divided into 
four companies by his sons, and Ertogrul, the war- 
like head of one division, resolved to turn back to the 
westward and seek a settlement in Asia Minor. While 
pursuing his course he saw two armies in hostile array, 
and joined himself to the apparently weaker party, 
and his timely aid decided the victory. The con- 
quered were an invading horde of Mongols ; the con- 
queror was Aladdin, the Seljouk Suit m of Iconium, 
one of the divided principalities of the great dominion 
of Melik Shah. As a reward of his timely help Alad- 
din assigned a territory for Ertogrul and his people, 
which consisted of the rich plains in the valley of the 
river Sanffarius, and of the Black Mountains in Asia 
Minor. This was the accident which led to the estab- 
lishment of the present Turkish empire, because Erto- 
grul was the ancestor of the present Ottoman dynasty. 
4. Osman the First (Ottoman) Turkish Sultan. 
On the death of the Seljouk ruler of Iconium, who 
left no son to succeed him, the Emirs, the chiefs of 
the clans, divided his dominion into petty states 
anions themselves. Osman, the son of Ertogrul, 
being one of these local chiefs, became practically an 
independent prince, 1289 A. D. His dominion as a 
Sultan began, however, in 1299, by the invasion of 
Nicomedia, the first conquest of the Ottoman Turks. 
According to the native historians, a dream fore- 
told to Osman his future greatness. While resting 
beneath the roof of a sheikh, whose daughter he 
admired, and whom he afterwards married, the 



104 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

sleeper fancied that he saw a tree sprouting from his 
own body, which grew rapidly in size and foliage till 
it covered with its branches the three continents of 
Europe, Asia and Africa. Beneath this tree four 
huge mountains raised their snowy tops, from the 
sides of which came four rivers, the Tigris, Euphra- 
tes, Danube and Nile. Through the avenues of the 
valleys were seen cities adorned with domes, towers 
and minarets; the crescent gleamed on every spire, 
and from every minaret was heard the voice of the 
muezzin, the Mohametan crier to worship, and these 
voices mingled with the notes of thousands of night- 
ingales and other singing birds. Suddenly the 
branches and leaves of the tree assumed a glittering, 
sabre-like aspect, and moved by the breeze towards 
Constantinople. That capital of the world, placed 
at the junction of two seas and two continents, 
seemed like a precious diamond in a ring between two 
sapphires and emeralds. Osman was about to cele- 
brate his marriage with the Byzantine city by placing 
the ring upon his finger when he awoke. 

5. Janissaries, the Furious Turkish Soldiers. 
Owing to the decayed condition of the Byzantine 
(Greek) empire, the Turks marched westward, and 
beginning with Nicomedia, gradually enlarged their 
dominion. In the year 1354 they crossed the strait 
of Dardanelles and set foot upon the soil of Europe. 
This was the first invasion any Tartaric or Turkish 
sovereign gained over this continent, and was also a 
preparation for the capture of Constantinople. This 
occurred at the time of Sultan Orchan's reign. 



SKETCH OF TURKISH HISTORY. 105 

By this time the necessity of a permanent military 
force was felt, and the grand vizier, the prime minis- 
ter of the Sultan., established a corps of infantry, 
who, not having yet forgotten, however, the pastoral 
life, proved ungovernable and unfit for the strict dis- 
cipline of military life. To remove this difficulty he 
resorted to rearing up in the doctrine of Islam the 
children of the conquered Christians, training them 
from early youth to the profession of arms, and 
forming them into a separate corps called "Yeni 
Cheri" (janissary), the new troops. 

The corps proved very valiant, and continued to be 
supplied by the children of captives taken in war, or 
by those of Christian subjects. An inhuman tax of 
every fifth child, or of one child every fifth year, was 
strictly levied upon them. It has been estimated 
that not less than half a million Christian children 
thus cruelly torn from their parents, were made 
Moslems, and trained them to maintain Islam with the 
sword. Afterwards the children of janissaries them- 
selves were admitted into regiments, thus they 
became a military class, distinguished by their fanati- 
cism in religion, bravery in wars and cruelty against 
Christians. Through upwards of three centuries, 
marked by a long series of great battles, they sus- 
tained only four signal reverses. Victory and des- 
potic rule marched hand in hand under their banner; 
but by the gradual advance of the European nations 
their power failed abroad, while their disorder 
increased at home and they became formidable to 
their masters, deposing them from the throne and 



106 



ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 



raising to it, till, unable otherwise to suppress their 
boldness, Sultan Mahmoud II., the grandfather of 
the present Sultan, had the entire order exterminated 
by the sword. 



***\^5 



CHAPTER XIV. 

THE CAPTURE OF CONSTANTINOPLE. 

In order to show the effect of this great historical 
event upon European civilization, and to illustrate the 
style of Turkish invasions, it is worth while to say 
something on this subject. 

1. The Capture of Constantinople. According 
to the established usa^e of the education of the 
Turkish princes, Sultan Mohamet was placed under the 
care of fanatic tutors, so that Islam in all its 
fierceness and bigotry early enslaved his mind, 
and he grew up a strict observer of its rites 
and spirit; for he is said never to have conversed 
with a Christian without afterwards purifying him- 
self by the legal mode of ablution. Having twice 
been clothed with the regal dignity, and twice sus- 
pended in the lifetime of his father, Mohamet finally 
gained possession of it when twenty years of age. 
He may be called the most gifted of all the sultans, 
but he certainly was one of the most detestable. He 
commenced his reign with the murder of his younger 
brothers, who were destroyed to make the throne an 
indisputable possession. From the moment of his 
accession all his thoughts were directed to give the 
death-blow to the Greek empire, and to transfer the 
seat of his government to Constantinople. Adrian- 
ople was the Turkish capital by this time. 

107 



108 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

2. Preliminary Steps Toward the Siege of Con- 
stantinople. On the European side of the Bos- 
phorus, about five miles above the city proper, 
Sultan Mohamet raised a fortress opposite to one on 
the Asiatic side, which had been erected by one of his 
predecessors. The Greek Emperor, Constantino 
Palseologus, heard of the rise of the massive towers 
in his neighborhood with alarm; and his anxietv 
increased upon quarrels arising between his subjects 
and the Turkish workmen. The latter invaded with- 
out scruple the surrounding villages and despoiled 
homes ; horses and mules were turned into the tilled 
fields and the crops destroyed. If resistance was 
offered, insult was repeated in an aggravated form. 
Constantine implored the Sultan to observe the courte- 
sies of peace, till, convinced of his hostile intentions, 
he closed the gates of the capital and prepared him- 
self for the inevitable approach of open war. " My 
trust," said he, " is in God alone; if it should please 
him to soften your heart, I shall rejoice in the happy 
change; if he delivers my city into your hands I 
shall submit without a murmur. But until the Judge 
of the whole earth pronounces between us, it is my 
duty to live and die in defense of my people." In 
the autumn of that year (1452) Mohamet withdrew 
to Adrianople, after carefully viewing the grounds 
about the city and examining its defenses. "Next 
summer," he said, "I must take up my abode in 
Constantinople." Both parties during the winter 
prepared for the approaching struggle. 



CAPTURE OF CONSTANTINOPLE. 109 

3. The Siege of the City. Having collected his 
resources early in the spring of 1453, Mohamet 
enclosed the city with an army of 120,000 men, deso- 
lated the environs and confined the inhabitants within 
the walls. Engines of war and guns of great mag- 
nitude were slowly dragged by oxen from Adrian- 
ople. One huge piece of artillery is particularly 
noticed, which had a caliber of twelve spans in diame- 
ter, and could carry a stone ball of 600 pounds over 
a mile. But the imperfect condition of it was indi- 
cated by the circumstance that it could be loaded and 
fired only seven times in one day. It finally bursted 
with an awful explosion, killing the gunner and oth- 
ers. Including army and navy, the total force 
brought against the city was 260,000 strong. On 
the other side was a garrison of only 8,000 soldiers, 
who had to defend a circuit of thirteen miles, com- 
prising both sea and land. 

In the Turkish army sheikhs and fanatics predicted 
a triumph and repeated the dream of Osman from 
tent to tent, and the passages from Koran was quoted 
as expressly promising this conquest: " Know ye a 
city encompassed on two sides by water and on the 
third by land; the last hour shall not come before it 
be taken by 60,000 of the faithful." The Greeks, 
few in number but brave in spirit, heroically defended 
their walls and kept the enemy in check for more 
than fifty anxious days. So powerful was their resist- 
ance that Mohamet at one time despaired of success 
and thought of raising the siege, but overwhelming 
numbers proved irresistible in the final assault. 



110 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

The Sultan prepared for it characteristically on the 
preceding day by a religious festival, which involved 
a rigid fast, ablution seven times repeated, the prayer 
for victory, and a general illumination. As the night 
approached lamps were hung out before every tent 
and fires were kindled in various localities. Thou- 
sands of lanterns were suspended from the flag-staffs 
of the batteries and from the masts and yards of the 
ships, but a deep silence prevailed through the entire 
camp. The meaning of these demonstrations without 
the walls was truly interpreted by those within. Em- 
peror and subjects, bishops and priests, monks and 
nuns, men, women and children, formed processions 
to the churches, singing supplicatory chants by the 
way, with the accompaniment of "the holy and ven- 
erable images and the divine pictures." Constantine 
went that night to St. Sophia and received the sacra- 
ment. 

4. The Fall of the City. Before dawn on the 
fatal day the signal was given for the attack, and it 
was obeyed with greatest delight. Column after 
column advanced in orderly array.. For two hours 
the besieged kept the enemy at bay. Then the Greek 
commander received a wound which unnerved him, 
and dispirited by this calamity the defenders' cour- 
age failed them, while that of the foe increased. 
Led by an officer called Hassan, a company of jan- 
issaries crossed the ruins in the ditch, gained the 
breach and mastered the position. Constantine fell 
in defending it; Hassan, too, was slain; and over 
the bodies of both the Turks rushed into Constanti- 



CAPTURE OF CONSTANTINOPLE. Ill 

nople. The terrified Greek population hastened into 
the sanctuary of St. Sophia for protection, and to 
the last moment many clung to the belief that an 
angel would be sent from heaven there to vindicate 
the orthodoxy of the Greek church and destroy the 
Mohamet an who should dare to enter its door. The 
victor, attended by his pashas and generals, visited 
the desolate hall of the imperial palace, and arriving 
at the door of St. Sophia alighted from his horse, 
passed into the temple, and ordered all the crosses to 
be thrown down and all the paintings torn from the 
walls, and got upon his knees and muttered his prayer. 
A few days afterwards the muezzin proclaimed the 
public invitation for prayer in the name of Allah and 
His apostle, Mohamet. Thus the stately edifice of 
Justinian, which upon its completion drew from him 
the exclamation, "I have outdone thee, O Solomon," 
became a Mohametan mosque, and has ever since 
been preserved with the greatest care and pride. 

After a time of perfect license to his ferocious 
troops, the Sultan undertook the task of repairing 
the ravages of war, and commemorated his triumph 
by taking the proud title of "The Lord of Two Con- 
tinents and Two Seas," and fixed his residence on the 
site of the imperial palace, and founded that seraglio 
where his successors have resided, and which has been 
the scene of so much luxury, violence and crime. 

5. "Lord, Save Us from the Devil, the Turk 
and the Comet." It was the settled purpose of Mo- 
hamet II. to extend his empire to the west, and some 
succeeding sultans also entertained the same idea; 



112 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

and for over a century after the capital of Christen- 
dom in the east surrendered, the liberties and institu- 
tions of the western nations were seriously threatened. 
In the year 1456 a comet passed very near the orbit 
of the earth, and swept the heavens with a tail ex- 
tending over 60 degrees, in the form of a sword or 
saber. Men watched it with mingled emotions at 
Rome, Vienna and Constantinople. The night of 
the full moon having come, and then by chance an 
eclipse having taken place at the latter city, some 
thought that the Christian inhabitants of the west 
had agreed to march against the Turks, and would 
gain the victory. The Pope, however, regarded the 
comet as in league with the Moslems, and ordered 
the prayer "Ave Maria" to be repeated three times 
a day instead of twice. He directed the church bells 
to be tolled at noon, a custom which still prevails in 
Roman Catholic countries. To the "Ave Maria" 
the prayer was added, "Lord, save us from the 
devil, the Turk and the comet." Every first Sunday 
of the month a solemn procession was appointed, 
with a special mass, and a sermon upon the subject. 
The comet at length, after patiently enduring some 
months of daily excommunication, showed signs of 
retreat, and Europe breathed more freely when it 
vanished from the skies. 



CHAPTER XV. 

THE GREATEST EXTENT OF THE TURKISH EMPIRE. 

1. Diversions of the Designs of Turkish Am- 
bition. Four centuries ago the powers of Europe were 
summoned to solemn meetings to take counsel for 
the expulsion of the Turk from Europe, but they 
could not come to an agreement before some internal 
events turned the Turkish ambition from the west to 
the east, from the shores of the Adriatic to the defiles 
of Armenia, and from the banks of the Danube to 
the plains of Egypt. 

The reign of Sultan Bayazit, the son and successor 
of Mohamet the conqueror of Constantinople, was 
greatly disturbed by the rebellion of his brother, who 
effectually contended for the throne. After a long 
civil war, being driven to extremity, the prince placed 
himself under the protection of the Knights of Rhodes, 
who sent him to France, from whence he was sent 
to Italy and kept as a prisoner of State in the 
Vatican. He there served as a hostage for the good 
conduct of the Sultan, since, in case the latter should 
become aggressive toward the Christian nations, the 
captive might be let loose against him as a competitor. 

The janissaries, on the other hand, haughty and 
powerful, were a constant cause of anxiety to the 
Sultan, and even bribes failed to keep them in sub- 
jection to their unfavored master. They made the 

113 



114 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

revolt of his youngest son Selim a success, not only 
in forcing Bayazit to abdicate and leave the capital, 
but hastening his death while yet on the road to his 
place of exile. The military spirit and ability of the 
new Sultan made him a favorite with the janissaries, 
while his religious frenzy and severity rendered him 
acceptable to the more bigoted Moslems. 

2. Possession of the Islamic Caliphate. Soon 
after getting to the throne Sultan Selim, surnamed 
Cruel, turned his armies eastward, and after reducing 
Armenia and Mesopotamia conducted a successful 
war in Persia against Shah Ismael, another Mohame- 
tan ruler in the east. Persians and Turks, both of 
the same faith, had a severe religious dispute among 
themselves in regard to the legitimacy of the first 
three caliphs, the successors of the Prophet Mohamet. 
The Persian Moslem rejected them as usurpers, and 
began to count the true succession with the fourth 
caliph, Ali, the son-in-law of the prophet. On enter- 
ing upon his eastern campaign Sultan Selim pro- 
claimed it to be a religious war, and the legal decree 
of the Turkish mufties "that there was more re- 
ligious merit in killing one Persian than in shedding 
the blood of seventy Christians," strengthened the 
Turkish fanaticism against their co-religionists. 

The fiery Sultan, at the head of a victorious army, 
next invaded Syria and Egypt, and added those vast 
and valuable territories to his possessions. The con- 
queror showed his bloody disposition the day after 
the surrender of Cairo by causing the Egyptian 
governor to be executed at one of its gates and the 



GREATEST EXTENT OF THE TURKISH EMPIRE. 115 

30,000 captives slaughtered in his presence and thrown 
into the Nile. El Mutevekkil, the last Mohametan 
caliph in Egypt, was deposed from his rank as the 
spiritual head of Islam and the Turkish Sultan was 
clothed with the dignity by the sheriff of Mecca, who 
consigned the keys of the Kabeh to his hand. Sultan 
Selim consequently added to his other titles that of 
"the Caliph of Moslems, and the Shadow of Allah 
Upon the Earth, and the Defender of the Two Holy 
Cities (Mecca and Medina)." After this victory he 
returned to Constantinople with the plunder of Egypt, 
which required a train of a thousand camels to 
carry. His successors have since been regarded as 
the supreme chief of the Moslem world and the Com- 
mander of the Faithful. 

3. The Turks at the Gate of Vienna. The reign 
of Sultan Soliman (1520-1566) was the most memo- 
rable in the history of the empire when it reached its 
climax, which was never afterwards surpassed. Three 
years after the conquest of Belgrade and Ehodes the 
first French Ambassador appeared at the Turkish 
Court. The envoy came apparently to negotiate a gen- 
eral commercial treaty, but really to procure a powerful 
ally for his master Francis I. against the German 
Emperor Charles V. The division of Christendom 
into Romanism and Protestantism had commenced, 
and the anxiety to gain predominance led the un- 
wise monarchs to avail themselves of the services of 
this mighty Mohametan State. 

Sultan Soliman, according to his word with the 
French king to carry a campaign beyond the Danube 



116 ISLAM, TDUKEY AND ARMENIA. 

and divert the attention and the arms of the Austrian 
house, crossed the said river at the head of 100,000 
men with 300 pieces of artillery. The day after the 
terrible "Destruction of Mahoc" in Hungary the 
Sultan received in state the compliments of his 
officers, when the heads of 2,000 of the slain, includ- 
ing those of seven bishops, were piled up as a trophy 
before his pavilion. At the approach of winter 
Soliman returned to Constantinople laden with booty 
and many captives, leaving an impoverished and de- 
populated country to be contended for by rival pre- 
tenders to the throne. 

The next summer the Turkish army, upwards of 
200,000 strong, advanced in the direction of Vienna, 
capturing castles and towns and devasting the country, 
till from the walls of the Austrian capital the gloomy 
light of burning villages were seen round half the hori- 
zon. The Turks reached Vienna and the siege immedi- 
ately commenced, but notwithstanding the numerical 
inferiority of the garrison they were repulsed at every 
assault and suffered severely from the sallies. Being 
discouraged, the Turks prepared for an effective and 
last attack, the walls around the city and all breaches 
were re-examined by the Sultan and his grand vizier, 
and immense sums of money were distributed among 
the soldiers. Enthused by these means a general 
assault was ordered on the 14th day of October, 1529, 
but such was the desperate valor of the defenders 
that the Turks were foiled in every effort. Owing 
to the advance of the season and the absence of pro- 



GREATEST EXTENT OE THE TURKISH EMPIRE. 117 

visions the troops were discontent and it became 
necessary to raise the siege. 

4. Greatest Extent of the Empire. The Ottoman 
Turks, once a petty tribe of unsettled wanderers, 
without an acre of soil they could call their own, had 
now become, in little more than three centuries, 
great among the European nations, occasionally en- 
dangering their independence, civilization and relig- 
ion. They possessed the most favored climate of 
the earth and the most fertile soil; a seaboard 
abounding in convenient roads and harbors; an archi- 
pelago offering facilities to commerce; straits the 
most impassable to him who has not the key or who 
is not on friendly terms with the owner, and a capi- 
tal adapted by its geographical position to become 
the center of a dominion extending to three conti- 
nents. They were masters of countries the most 
interesting from their sacred, classic and historical 
associations; the scenes where patriarchs pitched 
their tents and prophets delivered their oracles, and 
the soil on which the Savior of the World was born 
and where apostles first proclaimed the gospel of sal- 
vation. 

Their empire included in Europe Roumelia, Bulga- 
ria, Servia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Thessalia, Greece 
and greater part of Hungary; in Asia all Asia 
Minor, Armenia, Georgia, Daghistan, Kurdistan, 
Mesopotamia, Syria, Cyprus and the chief part of 
Arabia; in Africa Egypt, Tripoli, Tunis and Algiers; 
while the khanate of Crimea, the principalities of 
Valachia and Moldavia and Transylvania, with the 



118 ISLAM, TUKREY AND ARMENIA. 

republic of Raguza, were vassal states. Also diplo- 
matic and commercial relations subsisted between the 
Porte and the leading powers of Christendom. 

5. Decline and Its Causes. Though the Turks 
benefited by the political disadvantages of the sur- 
rounding nations, and encouraged by the mutual 
jealousy and selfishness of the so-called Christian 
powers had made themselves a name and built up a 
colossal power, they were destitute of the qualities 
which alone give honor to greatness and can secure 
permanence to success. The discipline of the 
seraglio (Turkish palace) was fatal to a succession of 
able rulers. The princes of blood, confined within its 
walls and separated from general society, deprived of 
every honorable ambition, with eunuchs for their 
teachers and slaves for their companions, resigned 
themselves to guilty pleasures to dissipate the tedium 
of such an existence, and were only fitted, if raised 
to the throne, to act the part of timid puppets or un- 
manly tyrants. 

The genius of Mohametanism, by the vain claims 
of superiority and its stern fatalism, contributed much 
to retain the Turks in a stationary condition, which 
necessarily became one of increasing inferiority in 
comparison with the other nations of Europe. Edu- 
cated in a creed which confines the intellect to the 
Koran and inspires sovereign contempt for nations, 
arts and institutions without the pale of Islam, re- 
si gued to the belief that all events happen by inev- 
itable necessity, an arrest was laid upon intellectual 
cultivation. 



GREATEST EXTENT OF THE TURKISH EMPIRE. 119 

The essentially military constitution of the empire 
also insured its decay. History continually repeats 
the lesson that power founded by the sword and de- 
pending merely upon the sword for its maintenance 
can never be firm and permanent. The Turks were 
formidable so long as they could reap a harvest of 
plunder from the states and countries around them, 
but when a stop was put to their career of conquest 
by the increased power of their neighbors and they 
had to act upon the defensive the deficiency of their 
own resources was soon apparent, and w r ould ere this 
have been blotted irreparably from the list of Eu- 
ropean kingdoms but for the intervention of selfish 
interests. 




CHAPTER XVI. 

TURKISH GOVERNMENT AND THE CHRISTIAN SUBJECTS. 

1. The Nature of the Turkish Government. The 
Turkish Government is what we may call a politico- 
religious system. The Sultan claims to be the suc- 
cessor of the prophet, hence the highest authority 
over the Mohametan world. The Turkish army is 
exclusively a Mohametan army. All the struggles 
and wars, however political they may be, are regarded 
and fought as religious wars, always sanctioned by 
the legal decree from the highest religious authority, 
and led by " sanjak sherif," the holy banner of the 
"Apostle of Allah," used in religious contests of 
the Saracens. The law of the Turkish courts in its 
essentials and details is based upon the Koran, 
administered and executed by Mohametan judges, 
who are the white-turbaned religious heads of the 
communitv. In one word, the interest of the Turk- 
ish Government is that, and only that, of Islam. 
Hence the more zealous and intolerant a sultan the 
nearer the ideal of a Mohametan ruler, and more 
respected and obeyed by the bigoted people, officers 
and the army. 

Another phase of the Turkish Government is its 
dualism. It is a government within a government. 
Two words, porte and palace, express these elements. 
The whole machinery of government exists at the 

120 



TURKISH GOVERNMENT. 121 

porte, Council of Ministers and Council of State. 
All business is supposed to pass through their hands, 
and the whole administration subordinates to them ; 
still all being subject to the supreme will of the 
Sultan. Any decision issued from the porte must be 
carried by the grand vizier to "the foot of the 
throne " and the Sultan's arbitrary utterance in posi- 
tive or negative must be regarded as a "firman," the 
command of " God's shadow upon the earth." The 
palace is another center of authority more powerful 
than the official government, made up of chamber- 
lains, mollahs, eunuchs, astrologers and nondescripts, 
and supported by the secret police. The general 
policy of the empire is determined by this party, and 
the most vital questions of the State are often treated 
and decided here, while the highest officials of the 
porte are left in absolute ignorance of what is going 
on. This party (palace), composed of the repre- 
sentatives of the most fanatic Moslems and the 
meanest adventurers, native or foreign, have the 
greatest influence upon the will and deeds of the 
Sultan. Not a single communication passes to or 
from the Sultan but by their agency, and with frequent 
modification or total fabrication. 

2. The Government and the Christian Subjects. 
The inhabitants of Turkey, consisting of about fifteen 
different races or nationalities, are, in the sight of 
the government and law, divided into two essential 
classes under the official names of "Moslem" and 
"non-Moslem." Turks, Arabs, Kurds, Albanians, 
Tartars, Circassians and Africans belong to the 



122 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

"blessed" class (Moslem), while the Armenians, 
Greeks, Nestorians, Maronites, Jews, Druzes and 
Europeans belong to the condemned party (non- 
Moslem). 

Being led by the necessities of affairs, and 
often enforced by the commanding requests of 
the European Powers, the Turkish sultans apparently 
adopted and even officially proclaimed some religious 
and civil reforms for their non-Moslem subjects; but 
these schemes of toleration did not go further than 
the waste-basket. Sultan Mohamet II., the capturer 
of Constantinople, seeing that the population of the 
great capital had been thinned out by the sword, by 
flight and captivity, issued a general proclamation 
assuring the Greeks who chose to become settlers 
" that they would be protected in their lives and lib 
erties, in the free exercise of their religion, enjoying 
certain privileges relative to their commercial pur- 
suits; that they were to elect their own patriarchs, 
subject to approval of the supreme power and were 
to enjoy the same honors and ranks that had belonged 
to their predecessors in the ecclesiastical office," etc. ; 
while another sultan, the grandfather of the present 
one, being informed of the existence of a conspiracy 
among the Greek subjects abroad, gave way to frantic 
rage and let loose the passion of his Moslem subjects 
against the Greek Christians in the capital and the 
provinces. Thousands of innocent victims were sac- 
rificed to their vengeance, many of them without 
even knowing why they were slain. On Easter day 
the Gregorian patriarch of Constantinople was exe- 



TURKISH GOVERNMENT. 123 

cuted at the door of his own church, and as the 
greatest possible indignity which could be offered in 
the eyes of his nation his body was delivered to the 
Jews to be dragged through the streets. This was 
what "the honors and ranks" of the above quoted 
proclamation meant and as understood by the sultans. 

" The Haiti Sheriff" sacred document "of Gul- 
hane," promulgated by Sultan Mejit, the father of 
the present Sultan, as a concession of " equal rights 
and justice to all classes of the Ottoman subjects," 
infuriated the bitter feelings of the fanatical Turks, 
who, unable to bear the idea of being placed on the 
same level with the "infidel dogs," excited the igno- 
rant population in the capital and provinces and 
imposed insults and outrages upon the Christians. 

The 61st article of the Treaty of Berlin (1878), 
signed by the Turk, together with the six great Pow- 
ers of Europe, to bring an end to the Kurdish and 
Circassian atrocities committed in Armenia, resulted 
in the Sassoun massacre of 1894, and the last issue 
of the scheme of reforms signed by the Sultan and 
published in eight columns of London papers caused 
the slaughter of 80,000 innocent Armenians with 
such horrors that 800 pages of the same papers could 
not describe and eighty centuries will not be able to 
wipe away this unparalleled blot on the eighteen 
Christian governments of Europe. 

3. Constitutional Privileges of the Armenian 
Church. Nearly thirty-five years ago, after repeated 
appeals and great struggles, the Armenian mother 
church secured a constitution granted by the Sultan 



124 ISLAM, TUEKEY AND ARMENIA. 

pertaining to her ecclesiastical rights as to the election 
and privileges of the patriarchs and synods and provin- 
cial councils, and the administration of the schools and 
other institutions. This constitution, though care- 
fully sifted and limited by Turkish severity, was 
once supposed to be the guarantee for the protection of 
the ecclesiastical rights so long disregarded, but soon 
proved to be a farce upon the part of the Turkish 
Government. From the election of the patriarch, 
the head of the executive body of the said constitu- 
tion and the only authorized agent between the Ar- 
menian church and the Turkish government, to the 
appointment of the village teacher, every transaction 
was meddled with, disturbed, delayed, and frequently 
prevented by the "good pleasure of the all-powerful 
Padishah" (the monarch), as well as by the least 
and the meanest clerk of the porte. 

In 1850 the Protestant Armenians were granted a 
charter guaranteeing them " religious liberty and 
other rights conferred on the other Christian commu- 
nities of the empire." la spite of these promises 
they have never been allowed to erect one church in 
the capital, though they have the site and the neces- 
sary funds in hand and have repeatedly petitioned 
for the same during fifteen successive years. 

The Catholic Armenians, having their own so- 
called patriarch in Constantinople, and being indirectly 
helped by the Roman church, have comparatively 
greater access to the palace, and that by the cunning 
policy of the Tur ish government, in order to sow 
tares among the Christian communities of the empire. 



TURKISH GOVERNMENT. 125 

In official documents these three branches of the Ar- 
menian church are intentionally distinguished by the 
names of "the Protestant nation," "the Catholic 
nation" and "the Armenian nation" (the old 
church). And the common people, unable to realize 
the real spirit of this distinction, receive it as a com- 
pliment and recognition of their equal rights. 

4. Governmental Offices for non-Moslems. Non- 
Moslems are entirely left out of the legal and military 
services. No Christian is admitted in the Turkish 
army or navy as a soldier; some few Greeks and Ar- 
menians, however, serve as physicians in the army. 

According to the later constitution, each community 
in the empire should have their representatives at the 
courts in proportion to the numbers of Moslems and 
and non-Moslems of the country (not of the respect- 
ive towns), as one to four; the president being always 
a Moslem and each Christian member being approved 
by the government herself. Under such limitations 
there could not be much room for the protection of 
Christians' rights, especially in the interior, where 
the Turkish members arrange matters and prepare 
reports to suit themselves and offer them to the 
Christian members to sign, even without reading the 
contents, and that most probably at the expense of 
the rights of their own friends and communities. 
Fear, ignorance, and sometimes selfish interests, com- 
pel them to do so. 

Coming to other subordinate offices, as in tele- 
graphic or postal departments, or in financial or 
register bureaus, etc., the Christians are used as 



126 



ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 



helpers or chief laborers for the higher Moslem 
officers, who are either unable or unwilling to work 
and are glad to use such active and honest brains and 
hands for one third of the assigned salary. 




CHAPTER XVII. 

TURKISH TAXES AND THE MODE OF COLLECTING. 

If the institution of government is based upon the 
idea of justice, protection and mutual help for human 
progress, the Turkish rule has no right to claim that 
title. One of the most evident reasons of this accusa- 
tion is her tax system, which is nothing less than a 
highway robbery, a well organized system to suck 
the last drop of blood from the veins of her subjects, 
be they Moslems or non-Moslems. 

The following taxes and the mode of collection will 
explain the existing affairs in that country: 

1. Taxes on Real Estate. This is about three 
per cent of the entire value of the property, to be 
paid every year, the value being determined by the 
government. r Fhe severity of this tax and degrada- 
tion attached tu its collection is more keenly felt in 
the interior of the empire, especially in small towns 
and farm villages. There comes a company of ruffians 
under the title of "Padishah Zabtiehsy" (king's 
police), numbering five, seven or more, armed to the 
teeth, tough, ignorant, vulgar and gluttonous men, 
who stop at the house of the wealthiest, call the lead- 
ing men of the community and having stated the 
amount demanded of the town, threaten them in the 
name and by the authority of the Sultan, "the Father 
of the Faithful, whose mercy and wisdom till the 

1-27 



128 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

earth." These fiends, known as collectors, live on the 
people for one, two or more weeks, demanding the 
best of provisions, dictating the bill of fare them- 
selves. Their horses also must be taken good care 
of by the town, even if it takes the tender gardens 
or the fields. Among the means employed by these 
collectors are beating men with many stripes, smear- 
ing the face with cow's manure, tying men to the 
tree or the wall, head fixed and the eyelids stretched 
up and down so as to expose the eyes to the burning 
sun for hours at a time, have the body bent forward, 
place a heavy rock or log on the buck until the 
muscles and joints give way and sometimes the blood 
gushes from the nose, and many other such things. 
The violation of personal honor and unspeakable 
deeds imposed upon men and women must pass 
silently. These deeds continue day after day with in- 
creased intensity until the community is compelled to 
sell everything at any price to get rid of such brave 
and faithful officers of "His Imperial Majesty, whose 
goodness spreads all over the world." 

These atrocities are imposed not upon the Chris- 
tians alone, but upon the Moslems also. Still the in- 
justice practiced upon the former is immeasurably 
severe. In a village known to the writer the total 
amount demanded for the year was 39,000 piasters, 
of this 33,465 piasters were paid by 180 Christian 
families, while twice as many Turkish families paid 
only 5,535 piasters. 

2. Taxes on Agricultural Products. The vine- 
yards, orchards, gardens aud grain fields compose 



TURKISH TAXES. 129 

this class. The rate levied upon the products is 
nominally one-eighth, but the time of determining the 
value and the mode of collecting brings it as high as 
one-fourth or more. The fruit products are valued 
by the collectors and while yet in blossom, and 
though the crops may fail, still the taxes must 
be paid. It often occurs that vineyards and orchards 
are deserted by their owners in order to get rid 
of the heavy taxes. The right of collecting "the 
tithes" on wheat and similar products is sold to parties 
known as tithers, most cruel and heartless men, and 
a great terror to the farmers. The tithes are de- 
manded for the simple fact that the ground, though 
bought with the money of its owner, is regarded as 
the absolute property of the government; therefore, 
the former must pay for the privilege of using the 
ground. According to this principle one cannot turn 
his own field into a garden or orchard, nor can he 
build houses upon it, nor even can he sell it, without 
the official permission of the government. The law 
is that if a field is not tilled for three successive years 
the government has the right to confiscate it and sell 
it to others. Because of the absence of modern 
machinery and many obstacles in the way, an average 
farmer can cultivate but ten or twelve acres of land. 
After hard labor and constant watch over the field 
from the tenderest growth to the harvest, the farmer 
is not allowed to use any part of the products until 
the tither has measured the crop and taken his part. 
So soon as the threshing is over an agent of the 
tither puts his stamp all around and over the piles of 



130 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

the wheat and orders the farmer to watch and wait 
until he comes again to measure it. In the mean- 
time the farmer has no bread to eat and no oats for 
his stock, and is obliged to borrow at a rate of fifty per 
cent interest. He may have to wait for weeks and 
sometimes until late in the autumn watching over his 
crop day and night to keep off the cattle and robbers 
from disturbing "the marks," in which case he will be 
accused of stealing and must lose more. When the 
farmers of the town send word and beg the tithers to 
come and settle the business the rude answer is "Ya- 
vash, Yavash" (slowly, slowly). When they do come 
a horror fills the town, farmers are accused of stealing, 
insulted, beaten and condemned for so much damage, 
the act and the mode of execution being in their own 
hands. After the alleged damages are rectified in 
their own fashion, the turn comes to the "legal tithe, 
the divine right bestowed upon the Sultan, the suc- 
cessor to the prophet." From the best portion of 
the crop the right of the government is secured. 

3. Taxes on Herds and Flocks. The tax levied 
upon each sheep, etc., is estimated about one-eighth 
of the entire value due in the spring, when the sheep 
sell for the least money. As a hard winter passes, 
when the owner of the flock has consumed all provisions 
and left nothing to pay this tax, he is obliged to sell a 
part of his flock for only one-third of the price they 
could easily get in the autumn. The only reason 
this tax is demanded in the spring is because the 
number of the sheep and goats are greatest at that 
time. 



TURKISH TAXES. 131 

4. Haraj or Zimmet. This tax, demanded of 
non-Moslems only, is a religious tribute, which ac- 
cording to the Koran, giaours have to pay for their 
existence and their " infidel religious rights." Ac- 
cording to this doctrine no Christian subject can be 
allowed to live under the Mohametan dominion with- 
out humbly surrendering to this demand. Under 
the Turkish rule, which is the best representative of 
the Mohametan institution, this tax is nominally con- 
trasted with the military service of the Moslem sub- 
jects, from which the Christians are "exempt," or 
rather, deprived. This is an annual tax imposed upon 
every male member of the non-Moslem communities 
at the rate of two dollars each, and in advance. The 
Turkish Government believes strictly in cash business 
with her own subjects, leaving all delays for her 
transactions with the foreigners. This tax the gov- 
ernment is very severe and prompt to collect. The 
poor who are not able to pay at the demanded time 
are insulted, imprisoned, beaten and even tortured in 
the most brutal manner, mentioned under the head of 
"The Turkish Prisons." Their property, houses, 
caitle, tool*, even bedding and common utensils, are 
forcibly sold, the buyers being mostly Mohametans 
or the officers themselves. This tax begins at birth 
and goes through life. Often the tributes of the 
dead are collected from their relatives or churches 
for several years after their death until a new census 
is taken. Many persons unable to pay try to conceal 
themselves from the sight of the collector, give up 
their work, and sometimes their home, for a teni- 
orary relief at least, 



132 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

5. Taxes on Trade. Every man except the 
farmer is expected to follow a trade, hence a tax levied 
on all above fifteen years of age, increasing as the age 
advances. The supposed gain on a given trade is de- 
termined by the authorities, and three to four per 
cent, demanded whether the person follows his trade 
during the year or not; hard times and failure in 
business excuse no one. 

Besides the above taxes there are various fees and 
dues — duty on merchandise, fees on birth and mar- 
riage and death and burial; dues on building, repair- 
ing, planting and change of residence; dues on 
traveling, buying and selling. Great amounts of 
money are of ten collected for the "improvement of 
the roads and erection of public buildings and 
bridges, but no one can see where such roads and 
buildings are or ask questions about them without being 
accused of rebellion, which means imprisonment, 
torture and loss. Frequently a general announcement 
is circulated all over the country declaring urgent 
needs of the government and demanding immediate 
response for this "obligatory help," as it is called. 
Well-to-do persons, especially among the Christians, 
are forced to share in this involuntary virtue. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

THE ABUSES IN TURKISH RULE. 

Here lies one of the curses of Turkish Government. 
Many things are tolerably good on paper, but the 
actual practice never harmonizes with the written law 
in Turkey. The ignorance and unworthiness of the 
officers may be one of the reasons of this misery, 
but the greatest defect lies in their principle and 
character. 

1. Bribery. The majority of the offices are 
merely sold to those who bid the highest. A cadi 
(judge), for example, cannot stay in the same country 
more than twenty-seven months at one time, during 
which period he gets about $1,000 for his whole 
service. No cadi can have a position without first 
paying to the higher authorities at Constantinople 
an average sum of $800, sometimes as much as his 
whole salary. This mutual agreement upon bribery 
and unjust taxation is understood in all departments 
of the government and the nominations settled 
accordingly. Offices are bought and services, just or 
unjust, are sold for the highest price. 

Every officer has a nominal salary, yet many weeks 
and months may pass during which they cannot 
receive a single payment; yet they all keep their places, 
live luxuriously, accumulate wealth and never fail to 
pray for the prosperity of "the Sultan, the crown- 

133 



134 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

giver of the princes of the world," under whose 
protection the wolves are set loose upon the lambs. 

No man expects to transact business or receive 
attention in a Turkish court without bribery. The 
well-known Turkish proverb is that, " As soon as the 
bribery enters the door the justice escapes from the 
window." The doors and the windows of Turkish 
courts are kept open day and night for this accursed 
draft. 

In a great many instances the bribery is practiced 
at the expense of the central government. The mer- 
chants save more by having goods pass through this 
bribery channel than by the ordinary way. A fewmeji- 
diehs (dollars) given to an officer or two under the name 
of "bakshish" (present), will save $40 to $50. 
Many forbidden books and papers enter the country 
and circulate widely through bribery. Many build- 
ings and repairs are allowed through the same means. 
In fact, if the officers would regard the law and the 
orders more than bribery, 50 per cent, of the trans- 
actions in various lines of business would be impos- 
sible, especially for the Christians. It is the opinion 
of the writer that bribery, though detrimental to the 
interests of the central government, is the only good 
thing in the whole machinery of the corrupt rule. 
The Sultan's government has for several years posi- 
tively forbidden the granting of pass-ports to Christians 
for foreign ports, with repeated orders for arrest and 
imprisonment of those who allow them to pass ; yet 
bribery has kept the ports open for those who could 
afford to pay from $3 to $300. 



ABUSES IN TURKISH RULE. 135 

2. The Robbery by the Sultan's Officers. The 
most important question in the mind of every officer 
is not the welfare of the government or of the peo- 
ple, but to devise a new plan to draw more money 
for themselves regardless of the mode or the conse- 
quences. Pasha Effendi (the governor) plans with 
kaimakam beys (the mayors) to blackmail some 
wealthy Armenian, or Greek or Jewish merchant, 
which never fails in resulting a goodly sum for our 
guardian of justice. 

The police department is evidently known as the 
partner of thieves and the president of the socie- 
ties of highwaymen. If you have some property 
stolen and feel anxious to get it back, make a skillful 
application to the chief of the police and pay some- 
thing, say half the price of your loss, "as the gov- 
ernmental expenses for the search in the town and 
the expedition about," and you will be sure nine 
in ten to succeed. 

The zaptiehs go from khan to khan (Turkish hotel) 
and seize the strangers or travelers and inquire about 
their regular license of trade. If they are able to 
show it they are asked to present the official receipt 
of the payment of the current year. If they do this 
they are demanded to show that of the last year, and 
if they can do so then are required to prove they 
are the persons they call themselves. When that is 
done the officer takes a paper out of his pocket 
and says : "You are to be arrested and sent to such 
a place. Here, I have the order (giving your descrip- 
tion), 'dark hair, medium size and round face; ' you 



136 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

are the man I was after for three weeks, and during 
this period a dozen telegrams were received about 
you. Get up, now, you dog giaour! You are a 
member of those secret societies which are plotting 
against the highest wealth " (government). By this 
time the whip is at work, and it will not stop unless 
one mejidieh or two is slipped into the officer's hand. 

At the custom house the goods are roughly handled 
and spoiled. Photographic plates and drugs are ex- 
posed to light with the excuse of ascertaining whether 
there be any dynamite concealed in the case. Many 
watches, jewels, fountain pens, etc., find their way 
to the examiner's pockets, their empty cases being 
put back honestly in their original places. The eat- 
ables are freely consumed by the officers and some- 
times carried to their dinner tables at home. 

The government itself is robbed by its own officers. 
In one of the provinces the government had a bridge 
built at a certain town. The architect of the said 
bridge, an Armenian or a Greek, brought the bill of 
expenditure, which was 8,000 piasters. The mayor 
looked over it and with great anger tore it in pieces, 
to the surprise and terror of the architect, who was 
ordered to be taken to the prison. After some days 
a sub-officer came to the jail and talked with the ar- 
chitect and informed him confidentially about the 
secret of the mayor's indignation and the way to 
appease it. Soon another bill was prepared for 20,- 
000 piasters, and everything was all right with the 
architect. The city clerk who recorded this sum had 
in the course of several years a position in the finance 



ABUSES IN TURKISH RULE. 137 

department at the capital, and saw one day that the 
same amount had been raised to 80,000 piasters be- 
fore it reached there. This is but an illustration of 
daily and universal practice of the Turkish officers. 

3. Delay. Delay is one of the proverbial char- 
acteristics of the Turkish rule. The words "yavash, 
yavash" (slowly, slowly), and "gelen hafta" (next 
week), are the constant utterance and the habitual 
motto of every officer throughout the empire. The 
Occidentals, though aware of the Turks' "deceit and 
delay," have not yet fully realized its depth. The 
crafty sultans played wonderful tricks in deceiv- 
ing the European governments with their mysterious 
"yavashes," and the Government of the United 
States may keep receiving the same endless answer 
to its mild claims of indemnity for the mission pro- 
perties destroyed by the soldiers of the Sultan. The 
Turks' "next week" will never come unless the 
language of gunpowder is used by Uncle Sam, as 
that is the only language the unspeakable Turk un- 
derstands. 

Electricity, so swift in its traveling throughout 
Europe and America, seemingly has lost its nature in 
Turkey. A message sent by telegraph to a distance 
of only twenty or thirty miles sometimes takes one 
or two days to reach its destination. The postal 
service is an eminent specimen of the Turkish 
promptness in business. The cities of 20,000 or 
50,000 inhabitants receive mail but once a week, if 
they receive any, and that on the condition of entirely 
fair weather. The mail may arrive late in the after- 



138 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA^ 

noon simply because the drivers stopped for some 
rest in a coffee-house on the route, and the policy of 
"yavash, yavash," detained them for several hours; 
and when they reach the city in the afternoon, say 
three or four o'clock, the officials put the mail bags 
away for the next morning and the anxious waiters 
(mostly merchants) are sent back because the post- 
master declares " ajeleh yock; yavash, yavash" 
(there is no hurry; slowly, slowly). The writer 
once received mail four days after its arrival in the 
city. Registered letters are delivered later than the 
others as a rule. 

On the ordinary business days the members of the 
Turkish court come late and irregular. The ice cream 
sellers are always ready at the hall of the court in hot 
weather and the coffee pot is there m the winter. 
The shoemaker comes at the office hour to get the 
measure of the cadi's foot; the tailor comes to fit the 
coat of the chief clerk. Soon a dervish enters the 
courtyard and begins his work of singing, as "Padi- 
shah does not lodge in a palace unless it is well 
finished ; no man can reach to the truth unless he is 
far from the world." Before he has finished his 
verses a mob may rush in dragging a Jew or a Chris- 
tian who is accused of having cursed a mollah's turban 
or Mohamet's tomb, which may cause such an uproar 
as to consume the whole day and cost much money 
to the falsely accused giaour. 

Fridays and Sundays, the two weekly holidays, are 
the best pretexts to put the engagements off. If 
Ramazan (the fasting month) is near you can not 



ABUSES IN TURKISH RULE. 139 

expect anything done this side of Bairam (great fes- 
tival at the end of Ramazan). If the governor of 
the province is expected the next week the machinery 
of public affairs in the court is stopped and the at- 
tention of all directed to the sweeping of the streets 
and arranging about his entertainment, and trying to 
make a good collection of taxes with this pretext. 

Traveling in Turkey is constantly interfered with 
and delayed; the travelers are stopped on their way 
in many guard stations and are cross-examined, 
especially if they be Christians; often retained for 
several days with the excuse of inquiry by telegraph, 
and sometimes sent back; and are often tied 
hands and feet and sent to prison, as the fancy of 
the officer may dictate and the supposed wealth of 
the accused may suggest. 

One exception to this rule of delay must be men- 
tioned — that when the unspeakable Turk unsheathes 
his "dripping sword" to cut off the heads of "dog 
giaours" in the name of "Allah the Compassionate 
and His Apostle" and by command of the all-power- 
ful Padishah — he forgets the words "yavash, 
yavash;" his thirst for human blood pushes him to 
extreme activity and madness. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

THE TURKISH CENSOESHIP. 

One of the most ridiculous, injurious and deliberate 
movements against liberty is the present system and 
practice of Turkish censorship. It shows the ignor- 
ance of the ruling race, the severity of the enslaved 
officers and the miserable condition of the oppressed 
people. 

1. The Censor. An infidel Turk, or, it may be a 
Christian subject, a wretched slave to the arbitrary 
will of his ruler, is appointed and forced to examine 
all the publications and report the result to the higher 
officer. Such a one must be acquainted with the 
languages of the country, also with French, and 
especially with English, which is supposed by the 
Turk to be the most dangerous means of circulating 
the seeds of freedom. 

We are in a large provincial city, the weekly mail 
has come, all the books, newspapers and letters for 
Christians are brought before the Pasha (governor), 
to be examined before their delivery. The stern 
Pasha is in his arm-chair smoking his cigarette, several 
officers are before him to attend his excellent will. 
The examiner, most probably a Christian young man, 
is called and seated between the Pasha and the watch- 
ing officers. The mail-bag is emptied upon the floor, 
and everything is handed one by one to this young 

140 



TURKISH CENSORSHIP. 141 

man for examination. His eyes are upon the paper, 
and all other eyes are upon him closely watching 
him, not to miss any chaDge of expression on his 
face. The Pasha says, "What is that paper?" The 
examiner says, "London Times." "Oh! the cursed 
paper, we are ordered to withhold it; give it to me." 
"What is the next?" "Independent." "What 
does that name mean?" "It means, not subject to the 
control of others." "Why, that must be a revolu- 
tionist paper ; let me have it too." "What is this 
one?" "Science." "Read the contents," "* * * 
New Discoveries in Bagdad, the capital of the ancient 
Assyria." "Cut that article and give it to me. What 
is that other one?' "The Cougregationalist." 
"What?" "The Con-gre-ga-tion-al-ist." "Cursed 
be that long name ; to whom is it directed?" "To 
Mrs. Cornellia Statenville." "Who is that devil- 
named man?" "She is a missionary, a hat-wearer." 
"Curse their hats; what is next?" "An Armenian 
paper published in Constantinople." "Let me see 
the seal of the press-official * * * Six copies in one 
bundle. Oh! crafty hogs! they don't pay their taxes, 
and sit together and read six papers in one week and 
learn rebellion against the Highest Wealth (Turkish 
Government). Put it in the bag and pass to the 
letters. Be careful now, I had a telegram that 
giaours are trying to pass arms in air-ships (balloons) ; 
there must be something in these letters about that 
satanic scheme." The letters are examined with 
greater care, and woe be unto him in whose letter 
any shadow of suspicion is imagined. 



142 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

2. Censorship of Press. The manuscript of any 
book must go to the press-officer, who is the president 
of a committee charged with the sacred duty of 
ruling over the thoughts, speeches and writings of 
millions of human beings. The same transactions 
must be repeated before each edition of the same 
book. There were so many books officially sanctioned 
five to fifteen years ago that they are confiscated and pro- 
hibited now. This shows that the burden of tyranny 
is growing heavier. All the books sent from foreign 
countries must go to the same office, be carefully 
examined and withheld if some injurious thing is 
imagined. Any kind of history, geography, even 
cyclopedias containing articles about Armenia, Turkey, 
Mohametan religion, etc., are confiscated. 

All the unofficial newspapers, Moslem or non- 
Moslem, must be published in Constantinople, and 
each proof-sheet of every paper must first go to the 
censor in order to be examined and corrected, and 
detained if he deems proper. On every occasion of 
the Sultan's anniversary, or of the commencement 
services of the government schools, the papers are 
expected and even demanded to give full pages in 
praise of the wisdom and mercy of the Saltan in the 
official style of the palace slaves. "The late Shah of 
Persia has died of dropsy." "M. Carnot, of France, 
has suddenly died of heart disease." Many viziers 
who have been strangled in the palace were reported 
in the papers as "died a natural death from sickness 
to which he was subject a long time, and in spite of 
all the skill of the doctors could not be saved." These 



Turkish censorship. 143 

false reports are in all the papers, religious, scientific 
or political; they are forced to announce these things 
for their existence, and they do it under the title of 
"Official News." 

' The endless reports of these last Armenian mas- 
sacres which have defiled the whole country from 
border to border, did not pass beyond being "a small 
local disturbance in such a place, in which two 
Moslems and three Armenians were killed, and which 
was at once suppressed by the soldiers of our gracious 
Sultan." " Cholera has broken out in such a place, 
but thanks to the attempts of our gracious Sultan it 
was immediately controlled and health restored." "A 
tremendous earthquake occurred in certain places, but 
thanks to the endless graces and wisdom of our Sul- 
tan there was no loss of life but three, and a few 
wounded." "This year, through the grrace of our 
Sultan, the crops seem to be excellently good." Thus 
the unfortunate country with all its population and 
possibilities is flooded by the overflowing stream of 
"the endless graces" of the Sultan. 

3. Other Illustrations that Touch Directly on 
Religious Liberty. From the International Sunday 
School Lessons of 1893 the title of "Sorrow in the 
Palace" (Esth. 4 :l-9), was suppressed, because there 
can be no sorrow in the Palace, which is called "the 
region of holy happiness." Also the titles of "Hope 
in Distress" (Psalms, 38:8-15), "Wicked Devices 
Frustrated" (Psalms, 33:10-22), and many others, 
were ordered to be left out. From the religious 
sonsrs the words "crown," "throue " "fighting" 



144 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

"fortress," "soldiers," "victory," "home-land," 
"trumpet," "kingdom," "enemy," "war," etc., 
are all stricken out, and all the songs expressing 
Christian warfare or citizenship or union are canceled. 
The printing of religious books has been objected 
to once, on the ground that after having been 
allowed to have the Bible the Christian subjects have 
no need of other books. Copies of "Pilgrim's Pro- 
gress" were confiscated with the idea that they show 
to the Christian subjects some way to escape from 
Turkey to a Christian land, from the City of De- 
struction to Heaven — not an incorrect comparison, 
however. "The Letters to' Families" was stopped 
with the thought that it might contain something 
against the government, as it bears the name "let- 
ters." A booklet called "The Epistle to the Gala- 
tians" was supposed to be a special secret letter to 
the Christians in Galata (a quarter in Constantinople 
and a center for Armenians), and the book was 
stopped. The policemen were sent to the Christian 
church at Galata to arrest St. Paul, who speaks so 
deliberately about "the deliverance of this present 
evil world," and advises his men to " stand fast in the 
liberty, and be not entangled again with the yoke of 
bondage." It took much effort and trouble to con- 
vince and send these men back, who were more fool- 
ish than the ancient Galatians. 

The abject ignorance and malice of the censor is 
best illustrated by the following fact: When he saw 
in an English book " H 2 O," the formula of water 
(two hydrogen, one oxygen), he supposed it to be a 



TURKISH CENSORSHIP. 145 

secret emblem against the Turkish Government, and 
after long meditations and consultations he solved it 
to mean "Hamid the 2nd (present Sultan) is zero! " 
and he insisted that he was correct in his discovery. 
The dark shadow of ignorance, the nest of all in- 
iquities, is the resting place where "the pearl of 
ages" is very anxious to hide himself and his sub- 
jects, in spite of the enlightenment of this century. 
The Moslem population is the same stupid and lazy 
Tartaric race — only they so surpass their fathers in the 
addition of hellish horrors upon horrors as to put the 
devil in the shade. They show no sign of conscious- 
ness of their wretched condition. Some individual 
sparks glowing here and there are at once put out 
and the national suicide still goes on, and the suffer- 
ing of the Christian subjects can never be realized. 
Under all their bondage, intellectual slavery, black- 
mailing, poverty and persecution they are groaning 
for liberty. But, alas ! the world seems totally deaf 
to their cries and sighing! It is a mystery of Divine 
Providence how the Darkness should be permitted to 
rule the Light, and a greater mystery that the most 
civilized nations and governments — the supposed 
champions of Liberty — would take such a barbarous 
nation as the Turks for their friend, and such a 
tyrant, the greatest enemy of Christian civilization, 
for their ally ! 



CHAPTFE XX. 

TURKISH HAREM. 

1. Turkish Harem, which means "the sacred 
place," is the name given to the ladies' department in 
the Mohametan home, where no man is allowed to enter 
witliout special permission from inside unless he is 
the husband, father, brother, son, grandfather, 
grandson, uncle — in short, one of the nearest relatives 
who could not legally marry the women in the harem. 
In case of a stranger's inevitable visit each woman over 
twelve to thirteen years of age must cover her face. 
The visitor's duty is to stop at the outside of the gate 
and knock, saying, " Take your veils," and wait for 
the response from inside. The houses in Turkey are 
surrounded by a strong thick wall, at least ten to 
twelve feet high, having only one gateway for 
entrance, which is kept closed and bolted. Some- 
times the husband locks it in the morning and takes 
the key with him to his business place. Wealthy 
people have their special department for men entered 
by a separate gate, and receive their visitors and 
guests in this department, which is called " Selam 
lik." A doctor's visit to a harem, which is very 
seldom among Moslems, is regarded as an exception 
for the harem law ? according to the decree of the 
Koran that "Necessities modify the prohibition." 
The ladies of the Imperial Palace were lately vacci- 

146 



TURKISH HAREM. 147 

nated by doctors, stretching out their arms through 
a hole in the partition between the two departments. 
The internal management of the harem is sometimes 
left to colored eunuchs, but commonly the mother- 
in-law, or in her absence, the chief hanum (lady of 
the harem) has its charge. Cooking is done in the 
harem, and the dishes are sent to the men's depart- 
ment through a revolving closet in the partition wall 
and served by male waiters. The inside of the harem 
yard must not be seen from any house near or far; 
hence the law for buildings, especially for windows, 
is very strict, and the exterior of the houses have the 
appearance of an ancient castle wall. As the mina- 
rets upon which the muezzin crier calls the believers 
to worship are always higher than the neighboring 
houses, the women must conceal themselves in the 
house until the crier makes his brief tour around the 
minaret. Very often blind men or children are 
employed in this service, and men of ugly voice are 
preferred by many pious Moslems, that their wives 
may not be attracted and tempted to come out of 
their inner apartments. Some exceedingly fanatic 
Turks do not allow even the Christian women to enter 
their harems. Blind men, idiots, eunuchs, and some- 
times the old domestic stewards, are allowed in 
harems. 

2. Polygamy Among the Turks. Any Moslem 
who can afford may have four wives in legal mar- 
riage, and may have as many concubines as he can 
purchase or capture. The present Sultan — not the 
most intemperate of the Ottoman rulers — is said to 



148 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

have 1,500 women in his harem. By the Mohame- 
tan sacred law all the women in the empire belong to 
the prophet and his successor on the throne. As 
the majority are not able to support many wives they 
must be content with a few on this side of the grave, 
cherishing the hope that they will have many in the 
future paradise. Some rich men, however, prefer to 
have only one or two wives, because of the habitual 
discord, extravagance and crimes in the larger harems, 
where jealousy, slander and constant quarreling are 
the daily practice of the " muminehs," the faithful 
women. 

Marriage is regarded a religious necessity, hence 
every man, even the poorest, the maimed and the 
crazy, are encouraged to marry, very often the 
expenses for wedding being paid by a wealthy aga or 
well-to-do neighbors. Their motto is, "A dog can 
drag a hide anyhow;" that is, a man can support a 
wife anyhow. They also say, ''When a person is 
created his supplies also are created with him," and 
they feel very content with what they may have by 
working the least. They marry nearer relatives than 
the Christians do. A man must marry his deceased 
brother's wife or wives for the sake of preserving 
the family inheritance. 

3. The Situation of Turkish Women. A man 
may divorce his wife by simply desiring to do so; 
no reasonable cause is demanded of him. A woman 
can never demand a divorce, no matter how cruel 
and unfaithful her husband may be ; she may 
be permitted to live separate if she can afford 



TURKISH HAREM. 149 

it. Hence, the only possible way to get rid of 
a bad husband is to irritate him until he asks for a 
divorce. There is one point favorable to women — 
that a husband can not get a divorce unless he first 
pays the dowry he promised to his wife, according to 
their wealth and rank, differing from ten to one 
thousand dollars, or more. The "sheri,"the legal 
branch of the government which attends to marriages 
and divorces, takes great care on this point to secure 
and protect the wife's right. A Mohametan may, 
and often does, marry and divorce the same wife three 
times by usual transactions of the "sheri" and by the 
consent of the woman, but not the fourth time unless 
the woman is married by another man and also divorced 
by his free will. If a thrice divorced wife is not 
already married by another man, and if both parties 
desire a re-union in marriage, the demand of the law 
is to find another man to marry this woman and 
divorce her legally, which the poor or the crazy people 
will do for the sake of money. In some instances, 
however, the man who was thought crazy proves him- 
self to be so sane as to keep the wife for himself or 
demands a very large sum for the desired divorce, 
for which the law does not force him. If a wife be 
guilty of impurity in matrimony her husband has the 
right to have her imprisoned by the government for 
life, or, as the Koran says, "until she finds some di- 
vine help to make her escape." The children born 
of a divorced wife can never be deprived of the 
right to inherit their father's property, even if they 
are allowed to live with their mother, in which case 



150 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

the man is forced to pay his children's living until 
the boy is seven years old and the girl nine. 

4. The Rights of Turkish Women. Mohamet, 
being very fond of his mother (who was widowed 
soon after, or, according to others, just before the 
birth of the only child) has repeatedly ordered honor 
and mercy towards mothers, especially widowed 
mothers. "No man," the Mohametan law says, 
"can repay the merit of his mother, even if he could 
carry her on his back all the way to Kabeh," the 
holy temple in Mecca. 

But the same law evidently ranks woman lower 
than man by limiting, for example, her legal rights. 
An heiress can only get the half proportion of inher- 
itance that an heir of the same relation may get. The 
wife can only get one-fifth of the property of her de- 
ceased husband if he has bodily heirs from her or 
from a former wife. A woman can never claim a 
divorce nor make an objection if her husband marries 
three wives more and desires to keep concubines. 
During the husband's lifetime the wife has no claim 
on his movable or immovable properties, only her 
dowry and personal ornaments and clothing presented 
to her. The consequences of the limitation of family 
rights are mutual hatred, unfaithfulness, crime, and 
a general degradation of woman. Women are not 
allowed to attend mosques for the daily prayers ; they 
may have them in the harem. In the month of 
Raniazan, the fasting month, they are permitted to 
go to the mosque, but must enter from a special small 
back door and sit in a gallery enclosed by a thick 



TURKISH HAREM. 151 

lattice work. They can never attend social entertain- 
ments unless given by nearest relatives. They are 
never allowed to sit at the same table, even with their 
fathers, brothers and husbands, if there be a guest 
in the house. When they go oat of their gates they 
must put on a long gown and a thick veil. If they 
go with their father, brother or husband, which is 
very seldom, they must walk behind. The best part 
of the road must always be given to the man. In 
the interior of the country if women see a rich man 
or an official coming they must sit on the floor and 
turn their face to the wall until "His honor" is past. 

In villages, these harem ceremonies are not practi- 
cable, but the condition of women is far worse. 
Their husbands have already purchased them by pay- 
ing $10 to $20 in cash, or an ox or a few sheep, or 
some pieces of carpets or rugs, or so many bushels of 
wheat or barley. Besides the common work of the 
house they have their share in all farming work, in 
sowing, reaping or pulling the crop w T ith their hands, 
carrying it on their backs and threshing it under the 
burning sun, which takes w r eeks, for the lack of 
machinery. In such places it is a universal habit 
for the man to ride on his horse or donkey, and the 
poor woman, often barefooted, walks after him. At 
the same time her baby (and perhaps the cradle) is 
strapped on her back, or a load of wood or other 
burden. 

The Turkish women, especially in the villages, are 
very free and quick in their talks, having no hin- 
drance to use their language. So you can hear 



152 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

them speaking very clearly and loud, sometimes 
laughing, sometimes cursing and very often gossip- 
ing. When they meet one or more pretty Armenian 
young people they seldom fail to say, "May 
plague strike your body," or if they meet a Chris- 
tian funeral procession, "May Allah cause you all to 
perish at once," or call loud to the neighbor's wife, 
"O, Eniineh! look this way, a giaour's corpse is 
going; may all of them have the same destiny by 
allah," and the other responds, "Amen!" During 
any uprising against the Christians Turkish women 
are very happy and always shout and urge the men 
to slaughter. 

5. The Titles, and Common Sayings about 
Women. When you meet with a friend you can 
never ask about the condition of the women in his 
house unless you have close relationship with the 
family; then you must say, " How is the household ? ,: 
or most intimately, "How is my sister?" or my 
aunt Emineh?" And he replies, "They kiss your 
hand." If a man speaks about his wife before oth- 
ers, he never says "My wife" or "Mrs. so and so," 
but "the people of the house," "your maid-ser- 
vant," "ash carrier," "sweeper of the house," 
" the mother of the children," "your sister," etc. 
A woman is called after her father's name, even if 
she be married. 

Some Turkish proverbs may better show their idea 
about women: "Woman is a deficient creature." 
"Woman has long hair, but short mind." "Obey a 
woman's word but one in forty." "Whip must not 



TURKISH HAREM. 153 

be far from woman." "Do not walk with woman, 
else you will suffer calamity." "Woman is the 
satan of man." "May allah preserve you from the 
evil of woman." "Do not trust the friendship of 
woman." "Woman has no religion." " She leaves 
confusion among seven quarters." " She loads seven 
houses on a donkey and rides also upon it." "You 
woman-minded fool!" 

They have numerous stories about the evils and 
tricks of women. They say, "Satan made a bet 
with a woman upon a pair of slippers to see which of 
them could cause greater confusion in the world; 
and they began the work among the families. After 
some time, satan being convinced of woman's 
superiority in devices, and fearing that she might one 
day harm even himself, he gave up, and putting the 
slippers on the end of a long pole, stretched it to the 
woman, being afraid to go near her." 

6. Turkish Family Discipline. In order to under- 
stand the Turkish character, we must go to the foun- 
dation, the family discipline. They have no idea and 
no word for home. The mother has not her proper 
position in the family. Filial, fraternal and paternal 
love is not nobler among them than it is among the 
pigs — if the comparison is not injustice to the latter. 
The jealousy, slander, quarrelling and crimes among 
the children of different mothers are terrible beyond 
imagination. The defect of the Turkish family dis- 
cipline does not consist simply of some neglects, but 
also positive inducements to corruption. As soon as 
the child is able to walk and talk, he is given to the 



154 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

hands of the meanest of servants (a nurse) to take 
them where they please, to teach them what they 
know, to make of them what they may. When they 
come down from the shoulders of these first teachers 
they are sent either to schools as corrupt as Sodom, 
or let loose in the streets to loaf and learn the accu- 
mulated corruption of the community, and to harm 
the Christian children they meet in the streets. If 
they do not see any giaour to insult and beat, they 
fight with each other and curse against each other's 
" faith and religion" and the ancestral graves, etc., 
most horribly. When several Turks, even the most 
noted ones, come together and have a little child 
among them their chief amusement will be, without 
exception, to make that child utter vulgar words in 
his broken language. The father of the child, most 
probably the host of the party, would say to him : 
"Now, my boy, swear to this uncle's beard," at the 
same time helping him to speak the necessary words ; 
then says, "Swear to the other uncle's turban," 
"to that yonder uncle's daughter," "to this young 
uncle's sweetheart," etc., etc. All will laugh in 
concert at his each attempt, and praise him for his 
smartness, and seriously beg long life for him from 
Allah. 



CHAPTER XXI. 

TURKISH COMMON SCHOOLS. 

1. A Visit to a Turkish Common School. The 
first thing which will attract the visitor's attention is 
the noise produced in a Turkish school, because every 
pupil must study his lesson with a loud voice. The 
exterior appearance of the building, which is gener- 
ally attached to a mosque, has nothing worthy to be 
called a school house— a single small room, with very 
low and narrow windows, if at all. During the cold 
weather these windows are covered with paper or 
white thin cotton cloth instead of glass, and in the 
hot seasons they are left open to the burning sun 
without any shades, unless it be the coats of the 
students sitting in front of them. There is no chair 
or desk, or anything like tables. All the children are 
sitting flat on the floor, on coarse mats or bare boards, 
which have never seen washiug. The teacher is also 
sitting on the floor, on a small hard cushion, and a 
little one-foot-high box before him for his table. All 
the boys (for no girl is allowed in this school) keep 
small turbaned fezes on their heads, but their shoes 
or wooden slippers are left at the front door. All 
the pupils are repeating their lessons in a loud voice, 
which is stimulated every six or seven minutes by the 
coarse howling of the long-bearded, large-turbaned 
and wide, loose-robed man, whom for convenience 

155 



156 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

we shall call Hoja effendi, the lord teacher. These 
frequent howlings are generally accompanied with a 
hard stroke of a four-foot-long heavy stick upon the 
floor its full length, and often with vulgar words. 

We can never expect to see anything like maps, 
black-boards or other school furniture, but onlv a 
dirty and badly torn pamphlet in each pupil's hand, 
in which are some extracts from the Koran in the 
Arabic language, which the Turkish children do not 
understand. No geograph} r , arithmetic, natural or 
unnatural science ; and no writing, class system or 
programme; but beginning from the right hand of 
the teacher each pupil must come separately and 
kneel down before him on the bare floor, and after a 
solemn denunciation of "Satan the Instigator," and 
recognition of "the name of Allah, the most merci- 
ful," must repeat his lesson with a louder voice and 
chanting tone, all the time swinging the body to and 
fro. As an approval of the recitation the teacher 
will simply say "Hum!" two or three times in every 
line, or sometimes for every single word, even for 
every syllable if the pupil is spelling. After one or 
two hundred shut-mouthed "hums!" and an uncer- 
tain number of scornful corrections, the so-called 
lesson comes to its end and the next pupil is called. 
Of the disapproval or complimentary words that pour 
out from the mouth of the Haja effendi, the following 
are comparatively milder ones: "Donkey," "Donkey- 
headed," "Frozen-brain," "Stiff-skulled," "Lazy 
donkey," "Blind hog," "Lame dog," "Crippled 
bear," according to the bodily defects of the children ; 



TURKISH COMMON SCHOOLS. 157 

"My lamb," "Crazy kid," "Sly fox," "My lion," 
"Black lion," " Black calf," "My son," "My 
father," "My brother." In ten minutes he may 
call the same boy "Donkey" and "My brother," 
according to the demand of the circumstances. 

2. The Piety of the Hoja Effendi. Let us not for- 
get to say that our "lord teacher" has also the 
charge of the muezzin crier, and the leadership in 
public prayer of the mosque. It is about noon ; the 
children are very tired of sitting and crying their 
lessons since the sunrise, also feel very hungry for 
food and for mischief. The approach of the "noon- 
bread," as they call it, makes them very uncontrol- 
lable. The teacher cries with a loud voice and says, 
"You hog-pigs! you begin to dig the ground again. 
You are almost perished by hunger, Allah may grant 
me to see you all perished in one day. No more 
patience, impatient dogs ! Bring the copper pitcher, 
let me have my ablution for noon-prayer, and then 
I will send you away; you better had gone to 
'jehenem' (hell)! You made my head swell by 
causing me to speak so much this morning; may your 
heads be swelled like pumpkins and boiled in the 
kettle! Bring that pitcher to me." In spite of the 
insulting tone of this habitual lecture the pupils run 
eagerly to fill the pitcher with cold water and bring 
it to the teacher. The teacher cries, "Ah! you 
will break it; that is a heritage to me from my grand- 
father; may Allah have mercy on his soul! Be care- 
ful, whosoever breaks that pitcher, by my religion 
and faith, I will surely crush his skull. You black- 



158 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

face Satans, you are in a hurry, not because you love 
me, but because you are dying to slip away one 
minute earlier; may Allah grant that you may be 
paralyzed in your houses and be unable to come here 
again. Bring the pitcher this side. * * * 'I seek 
refuge by Allah from Satan the accursed' (don't 
disturb my mind children, if I rehearse wrong the 
sin will be upon your necks), * * * 'in the name of 
Allah, the most merciful' (Ahmet, open the doors 
of the mosque)." * * * By this solemn ceremony, 
mixed with prayer and remarks to the children, the 
pious teacher finishes his sacred washing, and turns 
again to the children: "Now I will send you to 
4 noon-bread,' but I have some special notices: first, 
do not forget to bring portions to your teacher of 
what good dishes you may have at your table; bring 
also any kind of fruits, your aunt (teacher's wife) is 
not very well, and she will like to have some fruits. 
And the next thing I am going to order }^ou is that 
you must keep still in your houses and not disturb 
your mothers. You see that small bird up that tree? 
It always brings me news what mischief you do in 
your houses and tells it secretly to my ear. Now I 
can tell you all what you did last evening, but for 
this time I will forgive you, and watch your conduct 
for the next time ; you have to come back very soon 
and sweep the mosque for to-morrow, which is holy 
Friday you know. Look here, I am spitting upon 
the ground, and you be sure to be back before it 
dries; go now and keep in your mind what I have 
said," 



TURKISH COMMON SCHOOLS. 159 

3. A New Pupil Brought to the School, As the 
Turkish schools have no vacation, no division of 
terms and no class system, a new pupil may be 
brought in at any time. It is afternoon. All the 
children are in their places and a pile of small bun- 
dles near the teacher's seat, and he seems quite de- 
lighted with them. A father enters, leading a 
little boy by the hand, and addresses the teacher: 
' < Peace be unto you, lord teacher." "And peace 
unto you, haji aga ! Let us see what is that?" 
"What will it be, lord teacher? I brought your 
slave to pour water on your hand and to turn your 
shoes." "Allah spare his life; you have done very 
well." "By Allah, lord teacher, I saw that he was 
loafing in the streets and I thought if I leave him so 
he will be a donkey like me." "Allah forbid, haji 
aga; may your life be preserved safe from the evils 
of the devil; you are one of the noblest Muslims of 
our district. Oh! the past days; they are gone! 
What a noble father you had; may Allah illumine 
his grave. I can faintly remember your grandfather 
also ; he used to wear, it comes to my mind as a 
dream, a large green turban, and he always had his 
long pipe in his hand. He was a pious Mussulman. 
Allah may perpetuate his posterity. By the way, is 
your mother still living?" "No, lord teacher, pro- 
longed life for you, she passed five years next win- 
ter." "Is that so? Oh ! Allah may grant long life 
to you. *** How many children have you?" "Only 
this one, your slave, lord teacher?" "What 
is his name?" "Mustafa, lord teacher," "Oh! 



160 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

that was my grandfather's name; did you steal his 
name, little boy? Come here and let me see you." 
The father leads the child by the hand and taking 
him nearer to the teacher says, "Now, kneel down 
and kiss the lord teacher's hand." The teacher 
says "God bless you, my son." The father con- 
tinues, "Now, lord teacher, his flesh is yours, his 
bones are mine ; whenever he is disobedient and lazy 
you may punish him as you please; did you hear 
it?" Certainly; if he is an obedient boy I will love 
him just like the light of my eye, but if he is dis- 
obedient I will beat him as a dog and imprison him 
in the dark dungeon under this floor and nail his ear 
to the wall there and leave him to die with hunger 
and thirst. I am called crazy Haji, and if once my 
spirit gets up nobody can control me, even the gov- 
ernor cannot prevent me to do what I decide ; I kill 
men under my feet." "That is all right, lord 
teacher; he is yours, not mine, do to him as you 
please. *** What will our debt be to you?" "May 
your good soul be alive, my dear neighbor; * parents" 
and teachers' labors can never be paid enough ; may 
Allah recompense them in the future; still, as a small 
present for my labors and prayers, I will be content 
with one cent a week, and five bushels of wheat at 
harvest time, and several pounds of raisins at fall, 
and a pair of slippers when your son commences to 
read the first "juz" (part of the Koran), and a full 
suit of clothing when he finishes the sacred Koran, 
by Allah's help." "Very well, sir, all your orders 
upon my head (I agree), and for the love of Allah, 



TURKISH COMMON SCHOOLS. 161 

lord teacher, whenever you need something you will 
let your servant know. I kiss your sacred skirt, lord 
teacher; take as good care of him as if he was your 
own son. Good-bye, sir." As soon as he leaves the 
room the teacher murmurs in a low voice, "You 
stingy hog, I know what character you are. You 
promise very easily, but you are not going to fill it. 
Pay the regular dues and let the extra be a flame to 
your soul. I knew your cursed father very well; 
may he not find rest in his grave; he was a man like 
pieces of nail (useless); are you not the puppy of 
that dog? But anyhow I have your ears now in my 
hand. I will make you obliged to pay my wao-es. 
Now, boys, to your books ; when you see a visitor 
you leave your work and listen to us like sheep listen 
to the voice of a flute. Go on ! to-morrow is Friday; 
you have to finish your lessons to-day, else I am not 
going to send you home to-night. Goon! Read 
aloud! . . . louder! . . . still louder! . . . that's it." 



Ijf Iff 



CHAPTER XXII. 

TURKISH HIGHER SCHOOLS. 

1. The Essence of Turkish Institutions of 
Education. Education is not obligatory in the Turk- 
ish empire; therefore, the number of the public 
Turkish schools and the students is considerably 
smaller compared with other European countries, or 
even with non-Moslem communities of the empire. 
During the last twenty to thirty years the govern- 
ment established some public schools in four grades: 
a primary school for each town, a higher school for 
each county, an academy for each State and three to 
four highest institutions in Constantinople for the 
whole country. The approximate proportion of the 
numbers of the institutions to that of the population 
cannot be more than one primary school for 10,000, 
one higher school for 100,000, one academy for 
1,000,000 and one university for the whole popula- 
tion. 

The grade of these schools also is very inferior, 
because with the exception of some Christian pro- 
fessors in the university (?) all the teachers and 
superintendents are Mohametan fanatics or infidels, 
unworthy of their position. In the system of 
instruction there is no radical improvement and can 
not be as long as the spirit and practice of Islam pre- 
vails. That is why the Mohametan students in 

162 



TURKISH HIGHER SCHOOLS. 163 

European institutions, though very few in number, 
are generally becoming abject infidels in their hearts 
and heads, an element which does not seem more 
favorable to the Christian civilization and a better 
illustration for the re-entrance of the evil spirit into 
an empty heart. Hence all the outward appearance 
of the Turkish education and progress is a total 
farce, and an extra burden upon the long oppressed 
and impoverished Christians (for they must con- 
tribute to support) and a serious danger for Christian 
civilization. 

2. A Closer Investigation of These Institutions. 
The buildings are better than the common schools, 
but not as good as one might expect for the large 
sums collected from the people. The first floor is 
generally used for the wood and the ashes, and as a 
place for the shoes, which must not be taken up to 
the second floor, because it is used for Mohametan 
worship as well as school. The second floor consists 
of a narrow hall, to which all the doors of so-called 
lecture rooms open. No directory, no time-table and 
no program in the hall, only the emblem (arms) of 
the Ottoman government. You have to go from 
door to door and look in to see the contents. One 
of them looks like an arithmetic class; all the stu- 
dents or the class are crowded before one faded 
small blackboard and working together in great con- 
fusion. The other room looks like a geography or 
history class. The torn maps are inscribed all over 
with Arabic letters, reading from right to left. The 
largest letters on the eastern end read, "The Great 



164 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

Encircling Sea" (Pacific Ocean). Then comes 
" Chinumachin " (China) ; the next attractive inscrip- 
tion reads, " The prosperous countries of the Imperial 
Ottoman" (Turkey). The Mediterranean is named 
"White Sea;" Austriah, "The Province of Nem- 
cheh;" Germany, "The Province of Prussia;" 
France, "The Province of Fransah." When you 
look more attentively over the map of Turkey you 
will find that all countries separated from the empire 
during the last twenty-five to thirty years are put 
under the same Turkish dominion. Constantinople 
is called "The Gate of Happiness;" Jerusalem, 
"The Sacred Holiness;" Damascus, "The Sacred 
Sham;" Mecca, "The Esteemed Mekkeh of Mys- 
teries;" Medina, "The illuminated Medineh," etc. 
Both the map and its design carry us back thirty to 
forty years, and show how the real sciences of geog- 
raphy and history are abused in Turkish schools, 
which, perhaps, is the reason why an eminent 
telegraphic ofiicer, a graduate of one of these 
higher schools, could not be persuaded that "Liver- 
pool" was a single word. He insisted angrily 
that it was two words — "Liver" and "Pool" 
— until his Christian subordinate came and ended 
the dispute. One of the Turkish pashas, the 
highest provincial officers, hearing from a mis- 
sionary about the Civil War in the United States, 
asked him with great surprise: "Why, havaja, did 
your kings get permission from the Sultan to declare 
war against each other?" During the last Eusso- 
Turkish war the copies of a telegram were pasted on 



TURKISH HIGHER SCHOOLS. 165 

the walls, telling that "near Alashehir the Moscows 
suffered such a defeat before the Ottoman braves 
that the blood of the enemy formed a river so deep 
as to reach the breasts of the horses of the Ottoman 
cavalry." And the large-turbaned Turks, who 
thought the telegraph to be a devil's operation, were 
heard by this time reporting that this news was pro- 
duced by itself all over the country, while the secret 
dispatch was passing from Constantinople to Mecca. 
3. Commencement Services in Turkish High 
Schools. It is the "Prize day/' as they call it. In 
one of the largest halls of the town, teachers, stu- 
dents and their friends, and many invited persons, are 
crowded; the service is not yet begun, though the 
announced time has already passed one hour; the 
air in the room is almost unbearable; a great many 
are smoking, walking out and in, talking with a 
tremendous confusion and noise. Some are going 
out to drink and bringing a pail of water in for their 
friends, others calling for "a drop of that water," 
some trying to reach the pail, laughing, cursing — 
everything but order. Later on, the pasha, the 
chairman of the service, comes in, followed by a 
dozen well-armed soldiers and about all the 
officers and influential men of the town (there can be 
no woman in this assembly). By this time the 
whole congregation rises, as an homage to the pasha 
and his followers, and a military band begins to play 
the "Hamidieh March," at the close of which, all 
being seated, the chairman comes forward, and tak- 
ing a paper out of his pocket begins to read it as the 



166 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

opening address of the exercises. The subject of 
that paper is praise for the Sultan; the style is 
oriental, poetic and adorned; the language as high 
as possible, full of Persian and Arabic words and 
phrases, and the tone of reading low, monotonous 
and quivering. 

In order to make our readers better acquainted with 
the contents of said paper, we shall attempt to trans- 
late some parts of it, according to the capacity of the 
English language in expressing oriental formality: 
"By the boundless grace and endless mercy of the 
Lord of all creatures on earth and in heaven, and 
under the safest shadow of the world-stretched wing 
of his Imperial Majesty, our Sovereign and Sultan, 
the king of all kin^s and the crown-giver of all the 
princes of the world, we, the most humble subjects 
of the glorious Ottoman empire and sons of the 
sacred and most prosperous countries, are privileged 
to assemble here to-day to perform our usual sacred 
duty in sincerely praying for the utmost prosperity 
and longevity of our powerful, gracious and great 
padishah, and for the constant welfare of his highest 
commonwealth. Since the happiest day of the 
glorious enthronement of his Imperial Majesty, the 
greatest, wisest of all the rulers of the universe, we 
most fortunate subjects of the pearly throne — the 
glory of which equals the brightness of the celestial 
constellations—have always been enjoying innu- 
merable and marvellous signs of his bottomless 
ocean of wisdom and unparalleled prudence, which is 
the miraculous heavenly gift to the worthiest of all 



TURKISH HIGHER SCHOOLS. 167 

the monarchs upon thrones. By this delightful 
chance we acknowledge once more our most pleasant 
privilege to offer the emblems of our true faithful- 
ness and complete obedience to the heaven-like 
threshold of his imperial glory, the conqueror, the 
most gracious and the powerful majesty, our merciful 
father, Sultan Hamid, the Great, by repeating 'Long 
live my Padishah !' Amen ! and Amen ! !" 

4. The Relation of Christian Subjects to Their 
Schools. The Turkish high schools are nominally 
for all the subjects of the empire, but there are very 
few Greeks and Armenians who could find an}' way 
to enter them. Especially during these last fifteen 
years the non-Moslem element is remarkably enfeebled 
in these institutions. Still the expenses are paid by 
all communities of the country. The Christians 
invariably prefer to have their own high schools and 
colleges for their young men and women, and for 
further advancement appeal to the European or 
American institutions. When a doctor or lawyer 
from foreign schools desires to practice in Turkey he 
has to go to Constantinople, spend his money and 
time and be examined before the Turkish faculties, to 
procure his certificate or their permission. The native 
Christian students are subjected to very severe 
examination and restriction. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

TURKISH LIFE AND CUSTOMS. 

1. The Scenery in a Turkish Street. The Turk- 
ish cities are generally in good locations. The 
streets are narrow, irregular and dirty. The houses 
are large and strong, but not attractive. They have 
but few and small windows, and are on the second 
floor. Every house is surrounded by a high and 
thick stone wall, with only one gateway, which is 
locked or barred day and night. In the interior of 
Turkish houses, from the most destitute to the most 
elegant and royal, in the houses of poverty and 
wealth, we find the same degree of sin and misery. 

The scenes and events of a Turkish street cannot 
be told on paper. Muleteers and carriage men drive 
and curse their animals and cry to the passing multi- 
tude, "Be careful; let it not touch you." Street 
sellers are crying in every style and tone. Porters 
are carrying heavy burdens on their backs. Dervishes 
are howling and the fortune-tellers prophesying. 
The public criers are making official announcements: 
"0, Moslem servants! may Allah give long life to 
our padishah (Sultan) ! Hereafter whoever walks in 
the streets after three o'clock in the evening (three 
hours after sunset), whether he has a lamp or not, 
will be arrested and imprisoned and heavily fined; 
this is the command of his excellency, our governor. 

168 



TURKISH LIFE ASD CUSTOMS. 169 

Hear! you will have no excuse hereafter." Another: 
"Since last night a donkey is lost. Its tail is short; 
one front leg is lame ; its hair is gray. Whosoever 
saw it will have three piasters, and whosoever finds 
it will have five piasters. Come ! and make the 
owner glad." 

In. this Babylonian confusion many children, large 
and small, curse and cry. The pasha (governor) 
passes from his harem to his office with half-a-dozen 
servants before him and a dozen officers behind him. 
Everybody must recognize him by stopping and bow- 
in £, almost touching yie ground with the back of the 
right hand, then lifting it up to their lips and then 
to their forehead in perfect silence. He returns this 
homage by a slight motion of his right hand. The 
countless hungry dogs are barking and biting each 
other, and sometimes trying to attack the passers-by, 
in imitation of their legal protectors (Moslems). 

2. Traveling in Turkey. The Arabic proverb, 
"Traveling is a portion of hell," is applicable to 
Turkey, for there is no facility, no safety, and there- 
fore no pleasure, even in a country which is unique 
for its natural beauty and healthy climate ; no bridges 
over the large rivers, no prepared roads in miry 
places, no wide passages on the precipices. The only 
means of transportation are large camels, lazy horses, 
small donkeys and mules, and sometimes oxen and 
cows, driven by muleteers — the very ignorant vil- 
lagers. In all Asiatic Turkey there is not more than 
400 miles of railroad, therefore all journeys must be 
made by animals or walking, with an average of 



170 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

twenty miles a day. The animals are meanly fed in 
summer on grass, in winter on straw and very little 
barley. On winter nights the animals and the riders 
are sheltered together under the same roof of a khan 
(a rude, low and large building with only one room). 
There can be no fixed plan for the day. If you ask 
the muleteer the distance to the next town, khan or 
stream, he answers, "O, it is just here; about half 
an hour." You go on for hours and ask again, and 
get the same answer. You ask, " Where will you 
spend the night?" He replies, 6 'Allah knows; I 
don't know; wherever the night comes we will halt 
there; don't worry about it; these places are very 
dangerous; the other day highwaymen killed three 
merchants and captured all their properties just in 
yonder valley." 

In traveling, women, and especially children, are 
carried in maf a (two boxes), fastened one on each side 
of the horse. Owing to the constant dangers the 
travelers have to go in caravans (a large company of 
muleteers and passengers, with scores of various 
animals). They have carriages in the sea coast cities 
and in some parts of Anatolia, but for the lack of 
safety and regularity they are not of much use. 

3. Language and Conversation of the Turks. 
The Turkish language, being composed of coarse 
Tartaric dialect and Persian and Arabic words and 
phrases, has its own beauty when spoken by the edu- 
cated, but among the uneducated it represents the 
coaivest mode of speech. Turkish conversation is 
characterized by many and unnecessary adjectives, 



TURKISH LIFE AND CUSTOMS. 171 

exaggerations and obscenity, spoken in an imaginative 
and proverbial style. Among the educated the rule 
is that the first person of the pronoun is expressed in 
humblest style and the second person just the con- 
trary, for instance: I — "your servant," "your hum- 
ble servant," "your most worthless slave;" you — 
"your highness," "your excellency," "} T our highest 
excellency;" how are you — "how is the honored 
pleasure of your excellent nobility?" The answer is, 
"your servant kisses the sacred hands of your high- 
est personality." 

The Turkish style of addressing a letter: "By 
the grace of the Most High. Behold this letter is 
offered to the sacred direction of sagacious Ali 
Effendi, the assistant clerk in the financial depart- 
ment of the County of Keller, in the State of Bag- 
dad." 

In anger and quarreling the following expressions 
are very commonly used: "May your eyes be 
blinded, and you be left by the walls helpless;" 
"may your bread run from you on horseback, 
and you pursue it on foot and never reach 
it;" "may you not own two garments;" "may 
your lamp be extinguished suddenly" (die), "may 
you fall down like a pine tree;" "may melted 
lead be poured into your ears ; " " may you be a vaga- 
bond in your life, and be dead in a stormy day;" 
and many indecent words which we can not put here. 

The expressions for good wishes also are many and 
flattering, as: "May God hold your hands;" "may 
God build your household;" "whatever you touch 



172 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

as dust may be turned to gold;" "may Allah give 
you a dark-eyed sweetheart;" "may you enjoy the 
benefit of your child;" "may your enemies be 
blinded," etc. 

4. Some Turkish Riddles, Proverbs and Love 
Songs. "When I go it goes galloping behind me." 
(Shadow.) 

"A well and water in it, and a snake in the water 
with a pearl in its mouth." (A lamp.) 

"It can jump down the mountain without hurt, 
still it cannot step in a stream." (Paper.) 

"If you tie, it goes; if you let it loose, it stops." 
(Shoes.) 

"It is woman that builds or ruins a house." 

"The girl makes a woman like her mother." 

"He begs at the door of St. Sophia, and gives 
alms at Sultan Ahmed." (Two mosques that are 
very near each other in Constantinople.) 

"When you ask a lazy man to work he will preach 
you a long sermon." 

"Two captains sink the ship." 

* 'Little bread , peaceful head . " ( Content and peace . ) 

"Death is a black camel that kneels before every 
door." 

"He tries (in vain) to dig a well with a needle." 

"A stone rolled into the well by a fool, cannot be 
taken out by forty wise men." 

"Know the man by his friends." 

"He who eats without desire digs his grave with 
his teeth." 

"He thinks he has created the small mountains." 
(Shows vanity.) 



TURKISH LIFE AND CUSTOMS. 173 

"Eh, no money, no money, 
In his pocket no money ; 
Unminding his blindness, 
That fool man tries to own me." 

"I'll tell you don't madden me, 
Or I'll cat your willow-tree; 
If you marry some one else, 
I'll surely leave this country." 

"Water pail in hand has she, 
Walks to the fount slowly ; 
Girl, your sweetheart is coming, 
Run back homew r ard, make hurry." 

"Moon rises leaping, leaping, 
Through the branches peeping; 
I have got sad news to-day, 
My love for me is weeping " 

"My daughter, pearly, pearly, 
Soon grow be a lady ; 
I 11 marry you a gypsy, 
Play your gong, be happy." 

5. Miscellaneous Customs Among the Turkish 
People. — Medication. They do not use many medi- 
cines, and those which are used are such things as the 
blood of a black hen, the skin of a black cat, certain 
animals' manure, roasted snake, the mixture of seven 
flowers from seven fields, the milk of a woman who 
nurses a girl baby, the fat of the bear, the milk of a 
bird, the rain-water that falls in the month of April, 
and other thiugs that cannot be found easily, if at 
all. They believe in supernatural power of relics, 
reading from Koran, touch of a dervish, favorable 
words of an idiot, the tombs of certain saints, waters 
of certain fountains, threads bound around the wrist 
by a witch, or rags tied to certain bushes. 



174 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

Eating. They sit flat upon the ground and eat 
from the same dish with wooden spoons, or dip the 
bread, which, being thin and soft, is folded like a dip- 
per or cup-shape. As a rule, women do not eat with 
men; they have their black coffee after each meal. 
Tea is very little used among the Turks ; wine never, 
but brandy and other liquors are much used. Among 
the fruits, grapes are used the most, because they are 
plenty and very cheap. They are gluttonous in their 
eating; their motto is, "nevermind the death of a 
horse if it is from barley." 

Dreaming . They give vital importance to dreams. 
To dream of a white horse is wealth, riding upon it 
is gaining wealth ; of red color is some event which 
is going to take place soon; of a girl is some "hot 
news;" of fifth, is luck; of a Christian priest, is 
angel; of water is trouble, bathing is bad. Pulling 
the tooth in a dream shows the death of some friend, 
the nearer to the back teeth the worse. To take 
food from the hand of a dead friend is an ill-omen 
for the taker. 

Burial. They bury their dead as soon as possible, 
while the sun is up. The corpse is washed with hot 
water and soap and wrapped in a white, cotton cloth 
like a mummy. The body is put in a long bier 
(frame) and carried upon the shoulders of four men, 
changing hands frequently for an honor to the dead, 
and for the religious merit which is promised by 
Mohamet to those who carry a Moslem corpse seven 
steps. A religious service is held in the cemetery by 
all the friends and neighbors, which is a common 



TLRKISH LIFE AND CUSTOMS. 175 

Mohametan prayer. They believe that the departed 
soul uQites with them in that prayer. At the end of 
the prayer the priest asks the opinion of the congre- 
gation about the character of the deceased. If two 
among them can give favorable testimony the soul 
goes to happiness. 

6. A Common Turk's Idea about the Foreigners. 
As the Turks never wear hats and do not allow their 
Christian subjects to have them (except in a few sea- 
coast cities), the common name given to the foreign- 
ers is "hat- wearers," and when they are angry at 
them they use indecent expressions for their hats, 
blue eyes and whiskers. When the American travel- 
ers happen to pass through a Turkish village and 
stop at the edge of the town, the people come and 
gather around them, looking amazed; and if some 
lady is found in the company the women come near 
by and touch her hat, clothing and jewelry, and ask 
about their prices. They will not forget to ask 
whether she is married or not; if thev 2fet a negative 
answer, they seem surprised, and inquire the reason. 
If they get a positive answer, they ask which one of 
the gentlemen is her husband; has she children and 
how many, and why she did not bring them with 
her, etc. 

Ninety-nine in a hundred Turks have never heard 
the name of America, and nine in ten who have heard 
have not the right idea what and where "Amelikan" 
is. All foreigners are called " Frank." Russia, their 
immediate neighbor and memorable enemy for cen- 
turies, is called "Mosgof " (Moscow), and her people 



176 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

< 'Black giaour," "Blind Mosgof," "Blind hog." 
They say "Hog Frank has sharp mind." They call 
a railroad (without having seen it), "ship on the 
land;" bicycle, "the devil's horse." Balloon is called 
"ship in the air," and they talk about Armenians 
having passed arms and ammunition into the interior 
through these "air-ships," and even some have 
declared that they saw them passing in the night. 
They say "Frank can destroy a whole army by hold- 
ing a huge looking-glass against the sun and burning 
the enemy with its light," and sometimes use this 
means by night. They think about the telegraph that 
you strike here and the words are heard at the other 
end. They are very cautious not to touch the wire, 
thinking that it will cause wrong news at the other 
end, and you will be held responsible for it. When 
they hear the sound produced upon the wires by the 
wind they say, "There, the news is going!" 

Some think that "the people in the interior" 
(Europe) walk with their heads down, and there are 
people in China that have one eye, which is at the 
top of their heads. When they hear an American 
talk English they say "he is talking bird language," 
and ask the native Christians whether they know this 
language. If they say "no," they are surprised and 
ask "Why do they not talk giaourish" (infidelist) ? 
All the customs of the foreigners seem to them very 
strange and unnatural, especially their tables, where 
men and women sit together, talk and laugh while 
eating. They most bitterly detest the foreigners,, be 
they missionaries or merchants, for their neglect to 



TURKISH LIFE AND CUSTOMS. 



177 



invite the stranger or visitors to eat who may happen 
to come in while they eat, because hospitality is the 
highest ideal of every Oriental. 




CHAPTER XXIY. 

THE CAUSES THAT LED TO THE ARMENIAN MASSACRES. 

Two of the fundamental causes which underlie 
every Turkish massacre have already been discussed 
in the previous chapters, namely : The anti -Chris- 
tian spirit of Islam and the savage nature of Tartaric 
blood. Besides these general causes, there were 
some special motives which led "The Gracious Father 
of the Ottoman Empire" to these late deeds of 
unparalleled devastation and death. 

1. The Multiplication of the Armenians in the 
Empire Excited the Jealousy of the Turks. The 
last and careful census made about twelve years ago 
perplexed the Turkish Government over the unex- 
pected and sad condition of numbers of the people. 
Armenians, as Christian and civilized people, live a 
moral life, regarding also the physical and hygienic 
laws; on the other hand, the Turks were not only 
slow in increase, but were found diminished in num- 
bers. This decrease was due to several reasons, such 
as the practice of polygamy, vice of abortion, con- 
stant supply of military troops and loss of life in wars, 
ignorance and carelessness in respect to the laws of 
health, and fatalistic refusal of preventive and cura- 
tive means in times of epidemics, which are frequent 
in Turkey. Besides, a goodly portion of the country 
was severed from the empire since the last Russo- 

178 



ARMENIAN MASSACRES, THEIR CAUSES. 179 

Turkish war, which caused considerable decrease in 
the number of the Mohametan element. All these 
things were facts which the Armenians could not help, 
and the Turks would not stand indifferent. It was 
repugnant and alarming to the haughty Mohametan 
to see the multitudes of Christians in the streets on 
Sundays and young "infidels" crowding the roads 
on their way to and from schools every day. 

According to the last "Scheme of the Armenian 
Reforms," prepared by the representatives of the 
six great Powers and forcibly signed by the Sultan, 
the governors in the six provinces should be elected 
in proportion with the numbers of two parties. This 
would create a great change in the fabric of the old 
despotism, securing some Armenian governors to 
the first position. Hence the question of numbers 
was the crisis of "To be or not to be" in the palace 
and the porte. 

2. Turks were Jealous of the Increasing Wealth 
of the Armenians. As a reaction of the Armenian 
dark ages, which continued from the middle of the 
fourteenth to the middle of the nineteenth century, 
these last forty to fifty years offered a better chance 
for commercial movements, especially to those who 
live in large towns and seaports where there was 
more safety and freedom. The long suppressed busi- 
ness ability of the Armenian race showed itself in 
the banks and commercial circles of the capital and 
provincial centers; extending its branches al^o in 
every commercial city of Europe and of the United 
States. Even the greatest distance of the British 



180 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

colonies could not prevent them from the search and 
accumulation of wealth. They transported the silky 
wool and superior hides of Armenia to the markets 
of Egypt, and brought the costly indigo blue to the 
doors of Armenian dyers. They put the delicious 
pistacio nuts in the French confectioneries, and 
exchanged the money for delicate European dry 
goods; hunted all the old rugs from the oriental 
parlors and furnished the halls of the United States 
with them. The Armenians of the Harpoot district, 
mostly common laborers in the New England facto- 
ries, were known to send to their friends $5,000 weekly 
to purchase acres of land from their Turkish and 
Kurdish neighbors. 

There was a commercial revival among the Armen- 
ians. The young men, more vigorous than their 
conservative fathers, took out the buried treasures 
and began a strong competition with the Moslems, 
and succeeded. The big-turbaned Turk and the 
ragged Kurd, together with the barefooted Arab, 
began to ask the way to the Armenian banks to bor- 
row money for their antediluvian plowing work, at 
the same time sighing in their souls and murmuring 
in each other's ears, "I wish I had the giaour's mind 
and wealth." 

The young Armenian minds, enlightened with 
66 the modern civilization," began to think that the 
gunpowder stores of the Turk were emptied, and that 
the sharp teeth of Tartaric brutality had becomes 
dull, and especially that the originators and protec- 
tors of the modern civilization would never allow 



ARMENIAN MASSACRES, THEIR CAUSES. 181 

the repetition of the old barbarities against the 
honor of humanity and glory of Christianity. Rely- 
ing on these realities, which soon proved to be mere 
dreams of delirious minds, they dared to show their 
heads out of the dark cellars of their ancestors, and 
began to build good houses and live as honorable 
men among degenerate semi-barbarians. 

3. The Progressive Schools of the Armenians 
Made the Turks very Jealous. In one of the pre- 
vious chapters the reader had a description of the 
Turkish schools. The late changes are not radical, 
and cannot be under the circumstances. Now we are 
in an Armenian school ; it is the examination day ; 
the governor of the city, with all his turbaned and 
military companions, is invited (as should be done), 
and held the best seats in the clean and quiet hall. 
The teacher calls a boy, not more than twelve years 
old, and asks him how many hours are in a week. 
He answers at once, 168. The teacher asks again, 
how many minutes are in a week; the child finishes 
the problem quickly, and says 10,080. The governor 
looks around at his subordinates and expresses his 
wonder for the smartness of that "one inch tall" 
boy. The teacher gives a third question: "How 
many seconds are in a year?" The governor calls 
aloud to the cadi (Turkish judge), asking whether he 
could find that out; he says, "Not indeed, by proph- 
et." He asks the chief clerk of the court, and he 
answers, "No, sir, by Allah." The governor says to 
the judge and the clerk: "If I order a donkey's 
head cooked, can you eat it all?" Before the clerk 



182 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

gives his answer to this complimentary question our 
boy reads his figures on the board with a clear voice 
and pronunciation. The Turkish officers are ashamed 
of themselves ; but this feeling does not produce in 
them a true competition, but a jealous spirit to retard 
the one who is making progress. 

Science and education are always held in great 
esteem by every Armenian, but there never was a time 
in their history more noted for rapid and brilliant 
progress than these last thirty or forty years. Almost 
in every town numerous and graded schools were es- 
tablished and managed by competent principals, 
mostly educated in European or American schools. 
Armenian literature has got a new life, and jour- 
nalism, even in its narrow space, made remarkable 
progress. Several daily papers were full of ar- 
ticles about the living questions of Christian civilization 
and progress. French has become almost common 
in the schools. English is highly cultivated, especially 
in the Protestant institutions, which are not few in 
number or inferior in grade. The Russian, German 
and Italian languages have had their entrance among 
the Armenians, who have a proverbial name of being 
linguists. 

Armenians gave also a remarkable impulse to 
Turkish literature. Muhendisian made the best and 
most varied types of Turkish letters, and saved the 
reader from the unendurable troubles of the old style 
cryptograms. Arakel, Caspar and other publishers con- 
tributed marvelously to the production and circulation 
of Turkish books. Some eminent teachers, as Apik- 



ARMENIAN MASSACRES, THEIR CAUSES. 183 

ian and Bogos, prepared the best grammars and dic- 
tionaries of the Turkish language. This, too, made 
the Turks jealous that giaours were better acquainted 
with their business and books than themselves. In 
an old style Turkish school the Arabic grammar 
was a life work, while in the Armenian schools the 
necessary principles of that language are simply a 
few months" work. Many poor and honest Armen- 
ian young men gain name and position through edu- 
cation, while hosts of Turkish boys are loafing in the 
streets and stepping over wild street dogs and build- 
ing a character worse than dogs. 

4. Armenians, Noble Aspiration for Christian 
Liberty Excited the Wicked Turk. In spite of con- 
tinuous and severe p rsecutions of ages the fire of 
freedom was never quenched in the soul of the Ar- 
menian. The exiled young professor's last sighs 
from the depths of Siberian gloom have always and 
everywhere found their echo in the hearts of his 
countrymen : "I will be true to thee till death; yea, 
even upon the gallows' tree the last breath of a death 
of shame shall shout thy name, O Liberty! " Their 
contact with the civilized part of the world and their 
enlightenment by the dawn of Christian education 
added much upon this natural and holy aspiration. 
Aided by the American and English Bible Societies, 
they translated the Holy Scriptures and some other 
books into the Turkish language, and in some parts 
of the empire they evangelized and baptized the 
dialect of the oppressor, with the long-cherished as- 
piration of evangelizing them, too. When the British 



184 ISLAM, TUltKEY AND ARMENIA. 

Ambassador said, " Soon the Christians will be able 
to preach the gospel in Mohametan pulpits," there 
was a general shouting of jubilee, not that the Ar- 
menians would have a chance to slaughter Turks in 
their mosques, but that they would have the freedom 
and privilege of bringing their neighbors to the 
knowledge of true salvation. They did not take any 
aggressive course against the Turks or other Moslem 
communities, but rather, taking the favorable procla- 
mations of the Sultan as sincere, cherished the expec- 
tation that both parties, hand in hand, would try to 
elevate the country to the level of European pros- 
perity. 

While the Armenians were thus hopeful and aspir- 
ing, the fanatic Turk kept swinging his head and 
sighing, "Alas! Islam lost its power and glory; the 
field remained in the hands of giaours!" The deep- 
rooted enmity that drew this exclamation out of the 
bigoted Turk was not idle, but by a gradual advance 
prepared and accomplished horrors too terrible to de- 
scribe and too deep to realize. 



X P 



CHAPTER XXV. 

PRELIMINARY STEPS TAKEN BY THE TURKISH GOVERN- 
MENT TOWARD THE ARMENIAN MASSACRES. 

Confronted by the facts mentioned in the preceding 
chapter, the Turk could not stand indifferent. He 
had two alternatives, to submit or to oppose. He 
could appreciate the vitality of this progressive ele- 
ment in his dominion, and, laying aside every preju- 
dice and fanaticism, endeavor to rebuild his decayed 
government, or take his ancient policy of reducing the 
Christians low by plundering their accumulated 
wealth and crushing their honor and aspirations un- 
der his feet. He preferred the latter policy, and by 
Satanic devices prepared the way of destruction in 
the following steps : 

1. The First Step Was to Have a Fanatic and 
Narrow-Minded Sultan. In 1876 Sultan Aziz was 
dethroned and secretly murdered with the apparent 
accusation of " Abusing the Treasury (!) of the 
Highest Commonwealth." Just three months later 
his nephew and successor, Sultan Murad, was deposed 
with the accusation of " Sick-mindedness." Perhaps 
both accusations were true ; yet who can say that nine 
in ten Sultans did not abuse the wealth of the govern- 
ment and have a sound and practical mind? The 
fanatic and adventurous party of the palace was after 
another thing; they planned to have a Sultan that 

185 - 



186 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

could be used as an instrument in their hands. Prince 
Hamid, the brother of Sultan Murad, was the man. 
Exceedingly timid and suspicious in nature, feeble in 
structure, short-sighted in mind, devoid of education, 
and especially fanatical in religion, Prince Hamid, 
who was every moment fearing the assassinator's ap- 
proach, was put on the throne and given the 
titles of "The Finest Pearl of the Age," "The Es- 
teemed Center of the Universe," "The Sultan of the 
Two Shores and the High King of the Two Seas," 
"The Crown of Ages and the Pride of All Centu- 
ries," "The Greatest of all Caliphs," "The Shadow 
of God on Earth," "The Crown-giver of all the 
Princes of the World," "The Gracious Father," 
"The Victorious Sultan Abdul Hamid Khan," etc. 
Among the palace party there were men clever 
enough and able to make plans for the diabolical 
steps to be taken in the future. Some proselyte 
Christians, some European adventurers, had the light 
and mind to study the inner and the outer condition 
of the country and prepare reports for the mechan- 
ical endorsement of the Sultan. By the strict police 
system of the palace and suspicious guardianship of 
the imperial harem, it was impossible to see the oper- 
ations which were going on in that "region of holy 
happiness," as it is called. All the telegraphic and 
postal transactions were in the hands of the palace 
favorites ; they could modify, annul or invent any 
news they thought favorable for their policy. The 
Sultan was but a slave in their hands. 



STEPS TAKEN TOWARD ARMENIAN MASSACRES. 187 

Gradually "the seat of the prophet" (palace) be- 
came the center and the den of the most cruel 
butcheries and unheard of tortures. Any Ottoman 
subject, be he a Turk or Christian, a common student 
or vizier, a stranger or relative to the palace, upon the 
slightest suspicion or false accusation unfavorable to 
their plans, would be summoned to the horrible cir- 
cles of "the star palace" and put to death. The 
bottom of the Bosphorus and Mar moral waters were 
covered with the bones of slaughtered students and 
officers, men and women of the imperial harem, until 
all the authority remained in the hands of a degen- 
erate Arab slave called Aziz Effendi, who blotted the 
history of the nineteenth century with infamous 
deeds of cruelty and vice. 

2. The Second Step was to caress and enthuse the 
fanaticism of the Moslem population and show them 
that a zealous and true caliph was occupying the sacred 
seat of the prophet. It was very easy to deceive the 
ignorant. Sultan Hamid ordered several mosques 
and tekkiehs to be erected around the palace and 
bigoted shiekhs were rallied i 1 them and encouraged 
to practice their religious services under the super- 
vision of "the pious sovereign," who himself was 
very regular to attend these mosques for his Friday 
noon prayer, which is called "selamlik" (the pro- 
cession of the Sultan and the princes and all civil, 
military and religious chief officers, encircled by 
thousands of soldiers and spectators). 

The public criers repeatedly walked in the streets 
and bazaars of Constantinople to inform the Moslem 



188 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

population of the absolute will of the Sultan that 
the women cover their faces with veils when they went 
in the streets — which met the ideal of the fanatic 
majority — and the necessity of Eamazan fasting was 
discussed and enforced everywhere. The ruined 
mesjids and the Mohametan chapels were repaired 
and opened for public prayers and the believers were 
enforced to attend them. The schools were started 
and religious leaders were sent to neglected Moslem vil- 
lages and towns. Lightning-stricken minarets were 
repaired and the unceasing cry of muezzin was heard 
upon them. The disputed properties of the mosques 
were secured from the hands of the local beys or 
agas and delivered into the hands of the clergy. 
The annual pilgrim caravan of the Sultan, loaded 
with great riches and in Oriental pomp, started on its 
journey in the streets of Scutari, and continued for 
weeks, until the heavy-laden camels sat in front of 
the door of the kabeh, the holy temple at Mecca. 
The sacred mantle of the Prophet Mohamet, kept in 
the closets of the old seraglio, was kissed by the 
Sultan and all palace authorities every 14th of Eama- 
zan, the memorial day of Mohamet's " journey to 
Heaven." The holy banner of the religious wars, 
ever ready to lead the Moslem hosts against the 
"infidels," showed itself in the hand of "the con- 
queror," Sultan Hamid — though he has never been 
out of the capital since his enthronement. 

This central zeal made its favorable effect felt in 
the remotest parts of the empire, and a very great 
majority of the Moslem population thought Sultan 



STEPS TAKEN TOWARD ARMENIAN MASSACRES. 189 

Hamid II. as one of the most proper representatives 
in the chair of Mohamet. And the spirit of Islam 
took a new fire all over the country, and the chronic 
anti-Christian enthusiasm began to boil the blood of 
the followers of Islam. 

3. The Third and a Natural Step was the restraint 
put on the Christian subjects. This began to show 
itself in the slow and gradual exclusion of the 
Armenian students and officers from their positions. 
Then the number of Armenian schools and churches 
was decreased by not allowing the new ones to be 
established, and closing some of the former ones for 
trifling reasons. Sultan Hamid is said to have given 
firmans only for one new Armenian church near the 
frontiers of Russia, and for the repairing of a few, 
while he ordered scores of churches and schools and 
other institutions to be disbanded. Almost all liter- 
ary, educational, charitable and economical societies, 
even the Young Men's Christian Associations, were 
prohibited and dissolved when discovered. The pro- 
grams of the schools and the text-books were 
minutely examined. Armenian and universal histo- 
ries, geography and readers, which contained direct 
or indirect allusions to the above subjects, foreign 
atlases, statistics, historical novels, all were confis- 
cated and officially prohibited. Teachers who could 
not be made blind instruments in their hands were 
expelled, imprisoned, tortured, and in many cases 
killed. Christian doctors, lawyers, merchants and 
influential members were arrested by false accusa- 



190 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

tions. Even the priests and the ministers of the 
gospel were not left out of this detrimental perse- 
cution. 

Correspondence and traveling were strictly guarded 
and almost entirely prohibited. Immigration to any 
foreign country, and even to the Turkish seacoast 
cities was absolutely forbidden to the Armenians. 
Many Armenians who had official pass-ports for some 
Turkish cit} r , as Constantinople, Smyrna or Beirout 
were arrested, imprisoned in the ports of Trebizond, 
Samsoun, Mersina and Alexandretta or sent back to 
their own town. All the Armenians who escaped to 
Europe or the United States could do so only by suf- 
fering terrible hardships and perils and by bribing 
the police. An Armenian was several times captured 
and sent back to Harpoot, and at last, in his sixth 
attempt, succeeded iu reaching a French steamer for 
the United States by swimming about two miles to 
where it was anchored. 

The clergy and influential men were forced to sign 
false reports or accusations prepared by the govern- 
ment. Blackmailing became a universal practice 
among the Turkish officers, every town and village 
was besieged, every road was watched by detectives 
and officious officers ever ready to rob the innocent. 
The news of the Sassoun massacres in 1894 was not 
heard in other parts of Armenia and Asia Minor 
until four months after the event. No one could £o 
safely in the streets with a manuscript in his pocket, 
however harmless it might be. Any policeman would 
at any time attack him and get the paper aud take it, 



STETS TAKEN TOWARD ARMENIAN MASSACRES. 191 

with its owner, before the governor, who, generally 
without examination, would order the poor Armenian 
to be imprisoned. Several days, and very often 
weeks, would pass until that paper — perhaps a moth- 
er's letter or a discourse on botany — could be handed 
to its owner and several hundred piasters demanded 
for his release. If that paper had contained any- 
thing directly or indirectly about the government, or 
some words that the examiner's arbitrary and vicious 
will could give an unfavorable interpretation, the 
poor man could not expect to come out of his prison. 

Turkish Prisons are always attached to the city 
hall and in its dark and damp basement. These 
prisons, far from being the means of correction, are 
the most terrible device of bribery, vengeance, 
cruelty and suffering, especially for the poor Chris- 
tians who are shut in these subterranean hells under 
the name of political prisoners. For them there 
is no law, no justice, no conscience and no name. 
Exposed to cold, hunger, thirst, flogging, bodily tor- 
tures of every description, made to squat in deep 
mud, sitting in freezing water, pulling out of mus- 
tache and beard, hanging head downward, burning 
portions of the body with red-hot tongs, pouring 
filth over the head, burying the head in manure and 
violation of personal honor, these are the common 
tortures which could be mentioned among the various 
unspeakable brutalities perpetrated upon the poor, 
helpless Christians daily. 

"The Inquisitorial dungeons of the Middle Ages," 
says one, "may be regarded as paradise compared with 



192 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

these nineteenth century hells of Turkish barbarity." 
4. Another step as a preparation for the Armen- 
ian massacres was the organization of the " Ham- 
idieh troops." These troops, which consisted largely 
of Kurdish chiefs and their allies, were at first supposed 
to be the means of precaution against the impending 
invasion of Russian Kossacks from Caucasia, near Kur- 
distan, but soon after it was clearly seen that the 
plan was for an internal massacre of the Armenians, 
with whom these Kurdish tribes lived for centuries, 
sometimes on friendly terms and very often in severe 
enmity. The Turks, however fanatical they may be, 
are cowardly and lazy, especially prone to plunder 
property and outrage women, while Kurds, not in- 
ferior in the same barbarities, are ferocious murder- 
ers. During the last massacres how often the leaders 
of the government were heard to cry aloud among 
the mobs, "Stupid Turks! you are absorbed again 
in plunder and are not killing giaours ! Kill the men, 
and the women, and the property will naturally be 
yours ! Kill the bee, and the honey is yours ! Allah ! ' ' 
And this is a proved fact, that wherever the Kurdish 
Hamidieh troops were let loose, as in Ourfa, Gurin, 
Severek, Egin, etc., the devastation and butchery 
was complete. Kurds are more murderous than re- 
ligious Moslems, and whenever the drum of slaughter 
sounds in their ears they can not control their blood- 
thirsty natures, be it excited against Christians or 
Turks. In the history of Turkish militia this or- 
ganization may be regarded the most malicious device 
next to that of Janissaries. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

SO-CALLED ARMENIAN REVOLUTIONISTS. 

1. Armenia's Appeal to Europe Considered 
Rebellion. As the natural result of Christian civiliza- 
tion, the Armenians could not help cherishing in 
their hearts the sacred ambition of freedom, as a liv- 
ing plant could not help bursting into life under the 
necessary conditions of nature. Being oppressed and 
deprived of this human privilege, they could not help 
sighing under the heavy burden of Turkish perse- 
cutions and Kurdish outrages. Who can blame them 
for feeling such pain and pleading for any help that 
might be offered? 

The presentation of their deplorable condition be- 
fore the representatives of the Great Powers, as they 
did in the Berlin Conference in 1878, was simply to 
implore their help in suppressing the Kurdish and 
Circassian cruelties, and obliging the porte to regard 
the promises of reform, which were entirely cast into 
oblivion, especially after learning that the European 
governments had repeatedly shown themselves anx- 
ious in securing these promises of the Sultans and 
pretending zealousness for their fulfilment. 

A pamphlet lately published under the title of 
"England's Responsibility Towards Armenia," by 
Canon McCall of the Anglican Church, contains evi- 
dence enough to prove from the Blue Books of the 

193 



194 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

British government for the past fifty years that the 
condition of the Armenians was as deplorable as ever 
under the tyranny of Turks and Kurds, and the in- 
difference of the English government to suppress 
these atrocities, which it was her duty to do, accord- 
ing to her treaties and promises. The terrible reports 
mentioned in these Blue Books were all written by 
the British consular agents residing in Armenia, 
and contain all the details of events. The Armen- 
ians, being unaware of this indifference on the part 
of the English government, have made repeated ap- 
peals to Christian England, and through her to 
Europe, for succor. 

Especially, knowing that in this century Greece, 
Eoumania, Bosnia, Montenegro, Servia and Bulgaria 
were liberated from the tyrant of ages, and Lebanon, 
Samos, Crete and Egypt had gained especial privi- 
leges, all through the aid of European powers, Arme- 
nia would and might naturally desire and implore of 
the same Powers for a reformed and just administra- 
tion under their guarantee. Moreover, the Czar 
Nicholas of Russia has promised the Armenian nation 
to furnish her with some kind of provincial govern- 
ment under the care of the Russian throne. 

The sixty-first article of the Berlin Treaty, signed 
by the six great Powers of Europe, reads as follows : 
"The Sublime Porte undertakes to carry out, without 
further delay, the improvements and reforms de- 
manded by local requirements in the provinces inhab- 
ited by the Armenians, and to guarantee their 
security against the Circassians and Kurds, It will 



SO-CALLED ARMENIAN REVOLUTIONISTS. 195 

periodically make known the steps taken to this effect 
to the Powers, who will superintend their applica- 
tion." Can the Armenians be blamed for their 
anticipation of interference by the Powers, who 
pledged themselves for their protection? 

2. Hunchag, the Supposed Armenian Conspira- 
tor. The atrocities which were promised to cease 
after the solemn Berlin Treaty) have continued and 
increased systematically and in such rapidity, and 
committed even before the eyes of the Signing 
Powers for seventeen long and weary years, that 
the Armenians have lost all hopes of any assistance 
from abroad. In Armenia proper the Kurdish and 
Turkish tax-gatherers succeed each other and 
plunder what is left, and commit such atrocities 
that cannot be told in a public book like this. At 
last the helpless Armenians said to the Turkish 
officers: "The Kurds left nothing to pay you; 
here we are, take what you find; we do not know 
who is our ruler, the Turk or the Kurd. If you are 
our masters, protect us against these Kurds." This 
pleading and just protest was taken as an open declar- 
ation of rebellion and soon was telegraphed to the 
palace of the Sultan, who was already watching for 
this opportunity to commence his infernal plan. A 
few young teachers and students who took their edu- 
cation in Germany and Russia, and had some social- 
istic air in their religious creed, taught the people to 
bring the above-mentioned protest before the Turk- 
ish tax-gatherers under the said condition of affairs. 
These few hot-headed young men and their very few 



196 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

co-thinkers, who called themselves "Hunchag" 
(sounding instrument), and were ranked by some 
empty-minded or malicious writers with Anarchists 
and Nihilists, could have been easily arrested and 
controlled if the Turkish government had any inten- 
tion of doing so. Besides, Hunchag's creed and 
course was not encouraged or approved by the 
Armenians themselves. There was among the 
Armenians a common suspicion that either Russia 
had intentionally prepared and sent them in order 
to arouse disturbances and create a chance to carry 
her selfish purpose, or that these persons were only 
hired agents of the Turkish Government to excite the 
Moslem population. Learning these things, how 
could the Armenians show sympathy for such a 
movement? Suppose that these few Russian Armen- 
ians were conspirators and murderers, could this 
justify the government for the universal massacres 
of the thousands of innocent Armenians, men, 
women and children? Who could justify the Span- 
ish Government had she undertaken to plunder and 
massacre all the Italians in Spain for the murder of 
Canovas by an Italian anarchist? Who could blame 
Americans that John Wilkes Booth shot President 
Lincoln? Another fact is, that the greatest devasta- 
tion and slaughter has been made in places where the 
Armenian people had no information of or sympathy 
with the Hunchag movement, and were most submis- 
sive to the local government. Besides, these endless 
atrocities and the plan of massacres were at work 
long before the existence of Hunchag. Socialism, 



SO-CALLED ARMENIAN REVOLUTIONISTS. 197 

anarchism and nihilism are new words and strange 
ideas for a peaceful, industrious and religious nation 
like the Armenians. What they demanded from their 
own o-overnment and from the European Powers was 
safety of life, regard of honor and protection of 
property and religious liberty — the points which were 
promised in the schemes of reforms and guaranteed 
by the Christian governments. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 

THE ARMENIAN MASSACRES. 

1. The Massacre of Sassoun, (1894), the First in 
the Series. Sassoun is a small, mountainous district 
in the Province of Bitlis, in the heart of Armenia. 
The inhabitants of this district, being impoverished 
by heavy taxes imposed upon them by the Turkish 
Government and by several tribes of the Kurds, and 
being oppressed by tortures and outrageous barbari- 
ties of these tax-gatherers, were obliged to raise 
their voices and implore the help of the local and 
central government. These appeals were responded 
to by severe Kurdish assaults and increased Turkish 
atrocities. The Armenians of that district, there- 
fore, decided to oppose the Kurds when they came to 
collect taxes, upon which the barbarous race, being 
enraged, made a stronger attack for the purpose of 
murder and revenge. Among the Kurds whom the 
Armenians of Sassoun opposed, there were a few 
Hamidieh Kurdish soldiers, the authorized brigands 
of Kurdistan, several of whom were killed in the 
struggle. The exaggerated report sent by the Gov- 
ernor of Bitlis made the Sultan enraged, and accord- 
ingly he ordered <; the suppression of this Armenian 
rebellion with the severest means." This was the 
opportunity which the Sultan was anxiously watching 
for many years, and for which end he was planning. 

198 



THE ARMENIAN MASSACRES. 199 

Thus he ordered his troops to march to the Sassoun 
district and help the Kurds in their bloody work. 
This plan being hidden from the Armenians, and 
most probably from the European Powers, was car- 
ried on in a very systematic way. The various Kurdish 
tribes had received special invitation to take part in 
this great expedition, and the chiefs, with their men, 
arrived one after the other, and the total number of 
the Kurds who took part in the campaign was esti- 
mated at 30,000. The Armenians believed in the 
beginning that they had to do only with the Kurds, 
but they soon realized that a Turkish regular army, 
with provisions, rifles and cannons, was standing at 
the back of the Kurds. Sassoun was doomed whether 
she submitted or opposed. After two weeks' self- 
protection against the Kurds they saw that the regu- 
lar army entered into active campaign. Mountain 
pieces began to thunder, and the Armenians, having 
nearly exhausted their ammunition, took to flight, 
when the Kurds and the Turks pursued them and 
ruthlessly massacred men, women and children (not 
less than 10,000), plundered the properties and 
burned seventy villages, and after many horrible 
outrages, carried many girls and women to Kurdish 
and Turkish harems. These things took place in 
August and September of 1894. 

2: The Scheme of Reforms in The American 
Provinces. The news of the Sassoun massacre was 
concealed about four months, during which time the 
Turkish Government worked steadily to remove every 
sisrn and trace of these hellish deeds. But through 



200 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

the reports of the American missionaries and the 
European consuls and the impartial investigators, 
both from England and America, and even the 
information from the Turks and Kurds themselves, 
the awful news proved to be true, and public 
opinion was so aroused in England that the repre- 
sentatives of the Great Powers came together and 
prepared a scheme of reforms for the six provinces 
where the Armenians were greater in number, namely, 
Erzeroom, Van, Bitlis, Diarbekir, Harpoot and 
Sivas. 

These reforms, which were mild and in the line of 
what the Turkish Government had frequently promised, 
and the execution of which was entrusted to the 
Sultan, involved civil offices, judgeships and public 
appointments of Moslems and non-Moslems in the 
six provinces proportionately. This, however, while 
simple justice, was a bitter pill to the Mohamctans, 
who had ruled over the Christians with a rod of iron 
for five hundred years. The scheme was presented 
to the Sultan on May 11, 1895, but he obstinately 
refused to accept them. Spring and summer passed, 
the anniversary of the Sassoun massacre arrived, no 
redress had been secured, nor the punishment of a 
single official, while the greatest butchers were deco- 
rated by the Sultan. On the 30th day of September, 
some Armenians being indignant of this delay, which 
would mean the sleep of death for their race, made a 
demonstration to present a petition to the Grand 
Vizier in an orderly way, which led to a riot in Con- 
stantinople, and several hundred Armenians were 



THE ARMENIAN MASSACRES. 201 

brutally killed. The number of victims in two mas- 
sacres in Constantinople is estimated at 6,000, mostly 
laboring men. On the 8th day of October the mas- 
sacre at Trebizond occurred and about 1,000 were 
killed. These two unjust massacres obliged the dip- 
lomats to insist upon their demands of the signing 
of the " Scheme of Reforms," which the Sultan did 
October 16, 1895. 

3. Subsequent Massacres. October 16th was a day 
of rejoicing in Constantinople and in the provinces, 
but it will be remembered as one of the blackest 
days in Armenian history. On that day the Sultan 
professed to accept the Scheme of Reforms, but what 
he really did, as subsequent events show beyond any 
doubt, was to sign the death-warrant of the Armen- 
ian nation. From this time on reform by massacre 
was the order of the day. About thirty-five large 
cities, with hundreds of villages, were given over to 
slaughter and spoliation, so that by a moderate esti- 
mate 100,000 Armenians, the most influential men, 
were massacred, a greater part of their property was 
lost, and business ruined. About 40,000 houses 
and shops, churches and schools were burned. Thous- 
ands were forced to accept Islam. Thousands of vir- 
gins and pure women, after beastly violation, were cap- 
tured and carried to the Mohametan harems. About 
sixty Gregorian and fifteen Protestant and several 
Catholic ministers were most cruelly martyred, many 
churches were turned to mosques or stables, the holy 
utensils and scriptures defiled, and before the altars 
the most brutal outrages were committed. Many 



202 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

orphans were taken far away to Turkish houses to be 
trained in the Mohametan faith. About a quarter of 
a million widows and orphans and helpless aged peo- 
ple were left to the mercy of nature and their Moslem 
neighbors. The unspeakable Turk, with a single blow, 
made the ridiculous scheme of reforms inoperative by 
reduciog the proportion of the Armenians in the 
mentioned six provinces and in the greater part of 
the Province of Aleppo, where Zeitoon, being the 
neuclus, the Silesian Armenians were expecting their 
share in the promised reform. 

The following are the names of 105 Armenian 
clergymen killed in massacres : 

"A. OF THE GREGORIAN ARMENIAN CHURCH. 

I. 

" PROVINCE OF TREBIZOND. 

1-6. Six priests, names not given. 

II. 
"province of erzeroum. 

7. Der Kerekine, of Erzeroum. 

8. Der Yeghia, of Tevnik. 
^9. Priest, of Kak. 

10. Priest, of Oumdoun. 

11. Abbot Timotheus, of Hassan-Kaleh. 

12. Archimandrite Khorene Guroyan, of Baibourt. 

13. Der Ohannes, of Ksanta. 

14. Der Harutiun, of Ksanta. 

15. Der Magar, of Plour. 

16. Der Krikor, of Bushdi. 

17. Priest, of Balakhor. 

18. Der Khatt, of Hanksdoun. 

19. Der Ghevont, of Monastery of the Illuminator. 

20. Priest, of Khunzdrig. 

21. Priest, of Karatash. 

22. Der Hagop, of Large Armundan. 

23. Der Krikoriss, of Little Armundan. 



THE ARMENIAN MASSACRES. 203 

III. 
"province op van. 
24-7. Four priests, of the District of Lower Gargar. 

28. Priest of Badagantz. 

29. Abbot Bedross, of Sourp. 

IV. 

" PROVINCE OP BITLIS. 

30. Priest, of Khoyt. 

31. Der Mukhitar, of Khoyt. 

32. Priest, of Vanik. 

33. Abbot Isaac, of Holy Cross Monastery. 

34. Priest, of Broshentz. 

35. Abbot, of Monastery of St. Gamaliel. 
36-7. Priests of Yeghikiss. 

38. Abbot Sarkiss, of Monastery of the Holy Mediator. 

V. 

" PROVINCE OP SIVAS. 

39. Der Vosgui. 

40. Der Gronites. 

41. Der Asdvadzadour. 

42. Der Reteos, of Istanos. 

43. Der Yeghia, of the Church of the Holy Savior at 

Shaban-Kara-Hissan. 

44. Der Krikor, of Tainzara. 

45. Der Kude, of Tamzara. 

46. Der Aharon, of Aghvaniss. 

47. Priest, of Sis. 

48. Priest, of Anarghi. 

49. Der Matteos, of Bousseyid. 

50. Der Sarkiss, of Gurassin. 

51. Der Michail, of Gurassin. 

52. Priest, of Armudan. 

53. Bishop Isaac, of Derendeh. 

54. Priest of Ashodi. 

55. Der Arisdakes, of Zilleh. 

56. Der Mgurdich, of Zilleh. 

57. Der Vassil, of Vezir-Keupru. 



204 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

VI. 

" PROVINCE OF HAEPOOT. 

58. Archimandrite Ohannes, of Tadem. 

59. Der Harutiun, of Hadousi. 

60. Der Sarkiss, of Mouri. 

61. Der Seth, of Komk. 

62. Der Sarkiss, of Khoylou. 

63. Der Hagop, of Tadem. 

64. Der Aharom. of Tadem. 

65. Der Hagop, of Kesserik. 

66. Der Khazar, of Morenik. 

67. Der Ohannes, of Husseynik. 

68. Der Vahram, of Husseynik. 

69. Der Nishan, of Miadoun. 

70. Archimandrite Krikor Aprahamian. 

71. Der Migerdich Shamlian. 

72. Der Kegham Shamlian. 

73. Der Nerses Baltayan. 

74. Der Kurken Yazidjian. 

75. Der Tonig Pakhigian. 

VII. 

" PEOVINCE OF DIARBEKIE. 

76. Der Harutiun, of Diarbekir. 

77. Der Sacristan, of Diarbekir. 

78. Priest, of Ali Pounar. 

79. Priest, of Arghani. 

80. Der Krikor, of Hava. 

81. Der Garabed, of Hava. 

82. Der Kevork, of Marshmezra. 

83. Der Harutiun, of Tzet. 

84. Der Nerses, of Khozad. 

11 NOTES. 

No. 8. Der Yeghia, of Tevnik, was killed while presenting 
a petition to the Government for protection. 

No. 29. The Abbot Bedross, of Sourp, had his tongue torn 
out and limbs cut off one by one. He was then killed " with 

tortures." 

Nos. 33-35. The Abbot Isaac of the Holy Cross, the priest 



THE ARMENIAN MASSACRES. 205 

of Broshentz and the Abbot of St. Gamaliel were impaled in 
the form of a cross and then burned. 

No. 38. The Abbot Sarkiss, of the Monastery of the Holy 
Mediator, was first blinded. 

No. 43. Shot while conducting funeral services. 

No. 49. The body of Der Matteos was treated with the 
grossest indignity. 

No. 56. The eyes of Der Mugurdich, of Zilleh, first de- 
stroyed. 

No. 57. Der Vassil, of Vizir-Keupru, was burned alive. 

"B. OF THE EVANGELICAL ARMENIAN CHURCH. 
" The following are the names of twenty-one martyred 
Protestant pastors in Armenia, compiled by a correspondent of 
the Independent: 

1. The Rev. Krikor, pastor at Ichme, killed November 

6, 1885. 

2. The Rev. Krikor Tamzarian. 

3. The Rev. Boghos Atlasian, killed November 13. 

4. The Rev. Mardiros Siraganian, of Arabkir, killed No- 

vember 13. 

5. The Rev. Garabed Kilijjian, of Sivas, killed November 

12. 

6. The Rev. Mr. Stepan, of the Anglican Church, at Maf 

rash, killed November 18. 

7. The preacher of a village of Hajin, killed at Marash, 

November 18. 

8. The Rev. Krikor Baghdasarian, retired preacher at Har- 

put, November 18. 

9. Retired preacher at Divrik, killed November 8. 

10. The Rev. Garabed Hosepian, pastor at Chermuk, No- 

vember 5. 

11. The Rev. Melcon Minasian, pastor at Shepik, Novem- 

ber. 

12. The Rev. Aboshe Jacob, pastor at Kutterbul, November 

6. 

13. The Rev. Jurjis Khudherdhaw, Anteshalian, preacher 

at Kutterbul, November 6. 

14. The Rev. Sarkis Narkashjian, pastor at Chunkush, No 

vember 14. 



206 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

15. The pastor of the church at Severek, November. 

16. The pastor of the chnrch at Adiaman. 

17. The Rev. Hohannes Hachadorian, pastor at Kilisse, 

November 7. 

18. The Rev. Hanoosh Melki, pastor at Karabash, near 

Diarbekir, November 7. 

19. The Rev. Mardiros Terzian, pastor at Keserik, near 

Harpoot, November. 

20. The Rev. Hagop Abu Hayatian, pastor at Urfa, gradu- 

ate of Leipzig, December 29. 

21. The Rev. Hannah Sehda, preacher at Sert. 
" How many more there are we do not know." 

4. Some Touching Events Reported by Mis- 
sionaries. "The Kurds being not satisfied by mas- 
sacre, rapine and plunder of the living at that time, 
disinterred the body of a minister who died before 
the troubles, and fired into it volleys of bullets and 
treated it with almost fiendish indignities." 

In another place, very far from the above men- 
tioned, "the Turks broke the marble stones of the 
grave of a wealthy Armenian who died ten years 
before the massacres, and taking out the bones crushed 
them into pieces and scattered all around, making 
diabolic indignities." 

"Children were placed in a row, one behind 
another, and bullets fired through the line to see how 
many could be dispatched with one bullet." "Infants 
and small children were piled one on the other, and 
their heads struck off. In one instance a little boy 
ran out of the flames, but was caught on a bayonet 
and thrown back into the flames." Children were 
held up by their hair, and cut in two, or had their 
jaws torn apart," 



THE AMRENIAN MASSACRE. 207 

"At Galigozan many young men were tied hand 
and foot, laid in a row, covered with brush-wood and 
burned alive. On the last day of August (1894), the 
anniversary of the Sultan's accession to the throne, 
the soldiers were especially urged to distinguish them- 
selves, and they made it a day of the greatest 
slaughter." 

"At another village a priest and several leading 
men were captured, and all but the priest were killed. 
a chain was put around the priest's neck and pulled 
until he was choked, after which several bayonets 
were planted upright, and he was raised in the air 
and let fall upon them." 

"A man who protested against the degradation of 
his household was taken to a lonely place in the 
mountains, and buried up to his neck in the ground. 
He was left there until wolves came and tore his head 
to pieces. Four bride-grooms were murdered at one 
time while vainly attempting to protect their brides 
against a party of Kurds." 

"A missionary and a British vice-consul stayed at 
the house of an Armenian priest for a few hours. 
After they had left the village Turks seized the 
priest, skinned him alive, and stuffed his skin with 
hay, and hung it in the village street as a warning of 
worse things to come if the Christians dared to 
complain of persecution and oppression ; and many 
others." 

5. That the Last Armenian Massacres were Pre- 
meditated, planned and ordered by the Sultan, is evi- 
dent from the fact that almost all of them took place 



208 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

in the six provinces where the scheme of reforms 
were to be practiced, and the manner, the duration, 
etc., were all alike; for example, in each place 
Kurds and Turkish irregulars and the regular soldiers 
were sent together; in each place the Christians were 
disarmed by full promise of protection ; in each place 
the massacres and plunder had a certain limit of time ; 
also began and ended with military bugle-sound ; in 
each place the Turks were told they were obeying 
the Sultan's order; in each place only Armenians 
suffered, while other Christian people and foreigners 
were specially protected; in each place the most 
influential and young men were selected. 

These atrocities were composed of murder, plunder, 
rape, torture, imprisonment and forcing to Islam. 
It was very evident that local Turkish authorities in 
each place had a detailed list in their hands as whom 
they were to plunder, which house to burn after 
plundering, which persons to be Killed and which to 
be imprisoned. Those who attempted to protect 
themselves were horribly dealt with, and those who 
were destined for death could not find safety even in 
their Moslem neighbor's houses or in the government 
houses. Enforcement to Islam was more eagerly 
practiced in villages and small towns. Kape and out- 
rage was left to the will of the mob ; but as a rule 
the women and children were not sought for murder 
in the later massacres. Almost all the slaughtered 
bodies were destroyed by the Turks themselves. 
Very few aggressors among Mohametans lost their 



THE ARMENIAN MASSACRES. 209 

lives, probably not more than 1,000 in all, besides 
those who were killed in the Zeitoon and Sassoun 
struggles. 

Do 

For the sake of truth and humanity it must be 
said that some influential Turks defended their neigh- 
borhood and personal friends, and gave them shelter 
and provision for days; and some of them dared to 
express their disgust against this unjustifiable blood- 
shed. Some of the murderers are reported to have 
felt "pain in their brains" and suffered much in 
their imagination if not in their conscience; but the 
great majority were very much pleased, yet not satis- 
fied, and waiting eagerly for other orders of extermi- 
nating " giaours, " and cleansing the country from 
the filthiness of "infidel hogs," and plainly expressed 
their sorrow that they did not use the first chance as 
they should. 




•nsCr&jflr 



CHAPTEE XXVIII. 

Christendom's attitude towards the Armenian 

massacres. 

1. The Armenians as a Nation or Church, have 
no immediate connection with any ruling power or 
stately church. The idea of human brotherhood 
does not yet seem to have very strong grasp in the 
hearts of men, faintly manifesting its power over the 
selfish interests. None of the three great churches 
of Christendom, Greek, Eoman Catholic and Angli- 
can, has any special interest in the Armenian church. 
The Russian church is rather indifferent, while 
the Greek and Roman churches feel a decided an- 
tagonism towards the Armenian church, though call- 
ing her "sister church." As to the denominational 
Protestantism, nothing can be said definitely. Her 
independence from the State should not place her in 
a position of utter indifference and heartlessness 
toward the cry of these bleeding Christians. 

2. England's Attitude Toward the Armenian 
Massacres. The only possible explanation of Eng- 
land's inactivity is her selfishness and fear. If we 
go back towards the beginning of this century we 
cannot help but see that England in her activity in 
the Eastern question showed too much selfishness by 
repeatedly annulling the probable results of Russia's 
invasions on the soil of "the sick man of Europe," 

210 



Christendom's attitude. 211 

and by supporting the " great assassin'' of ages in 
his barbarous course against Christianity and human- 
ity. The Crimean war, and the following British 
transactions in the East, all resulted from the same 
selfish and jealous policy. In the last Russo-Turkish 
war Russia had reached to St. Stefano, only a suburb 
of Constantinople, and the Russian officers walked 
in the streets of this historic capital, and it was 
thought for some time that the Turk, gathering his 
4 'bag and baggage," should migrate back towards 
the interior of Asia Minor. It was under this terror 
that "the crown-giver of all the kings upon earth, 
the Sultan," hurried to sign the Treaty of St. 
Stefano, one of the terms of which was "Russian 
occupation of Armenia until the promised reforms 
were practiced." It meant nothing less than the co- 
ercion of Turkish-Armenia, and consequent libera- 
tion of a long-enslaved Christian people. But Eng- 
land tried and succeeded in annulling this treaty by 
obliging the European Powers to have a general con- 
ference at Berlin, as if to settle the Eastern question, 
and at the same time having a secret convention 
(1878) with Turkey (to protect her in case of Rus- 
sian attack) and getting Cyprus for the security and 
facility of this bargain. In all these transactions the 
outward pretext was "the welfare of the Eastern 
Christians," but in reality the dominating project 
was selfish interest. Russia was too wise to ignore 
these intrigues and too cautious to repeat the same 
follies again. These last two centuries were very 
remarkable, with the open antagonism between the 



212 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

4 'Blind Black Mosgof" and " Heathen Turk," but 
Russia has now changed the methods of carrying 
forward her policy, and adopted England's way — 
outward friendship and inward machination. There- 
fore, she did not do anything to prevent the late 
Turkish atrocities, but even encouraged the Sultan 
by petting and caressing him. 

3. The Armenian Relief Work. Among these 
greatest calamities, and blackest transactions, which 
have blotted the glory of the nineteenth century for 
eternity, the brightest point was the relief movement 
seen among the persons and private churches and re- 
ligious societies, largely in England and in the United 
States. As soon as the sad news of devastation and 
need reached these countries, the first thought of 
good-hearted Christians were directed to a practical 
sympathy, and considerable sums provided and sent 
to the region of horrors. During the last three years 
a total sum of $150,000 was collected and forwarded 
through the Red Cross Society and the American 
Missionaries in Turkey. Almost every church in the 
United States, without denominational distinction, 
united in this blessed act of charity. Among the nu- 
merous relief agencies, the American Board, the 
Armenian Relief Committees in large cities, the 
Women's Christian Temperance Union, the Christian 
Endeavor Societies, the "Christian Herald," and many 
others, are specially praiseworthy. Had it not been 
for this timely help, the number of the starved and 
the degree of affliction would be far greater. 



Christendom's attitude. 213 

Besides, it is a great blessing still to some of the 
widows and orphans of the martyred Christians to be 
under the shelter and instruction of local and tempo- 
rary orphanages lately established in various centers 
of Armenia, and conducted by the American Mission- 
aries and German Sisters. 

All the missionaries in Turkey, being perfectly 
assured of their personal safety, stood firm in their 
positions. Most of them have written detailed re- 
ports, and thus helped the circulation of the sad news 
in the civilized parts of the world. Many of them did 
actual work among the stricken families and churches, 
and some of them rightly deserved the name of 
"hero" for their deepest sympathy and generous 
shelter and self-sacrificing help, and unfatigued 
labors for the sufferers. 

Many Armenian refugees found great help on their 
way to the United States — especially in France and 
in Switzerland — and on their arrival to this land of 
liberty they received temporary shelter, aid, sympa- 
thy and work almost everywhere from the Christian 
men and women who unanimously express their desire 
for "something to be done to save the long-suffering 
Armenian nation," at the same time almost always 
excusing themselves for the governmental policy of 
the United States, as if "Monroe" was greater than 
Jesus Christ, and his so-called "Doctrine" was more 
sacred than the principle of Universal Love ; and that 
politics were more essential than the everlasting 
Kingdom of Heaven. 



214 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

The temporal benefit of the above-mentioned hu- 
manitarian movement was secondary to its spiritual 
blessing for those heavily stricken Christians. The 
tearful prayers, the encouraging messages, the life- 
giving presence of so many benevolent Christian 
brethren and sisters, helped those afflicted people to 
carry their burden with more patience and to meet 
death with more courage. 

The name of Miss Frances Willard will never be 
forgotten bv the Armenians for her noble deeds 
toward the Armenian refugees at Marseilles, France. 
An Armenian woman, writing of Miss Willard, said: 
"A precious woman of Christ-like heart, has, by her 
tender look and touch, made our unbearable sorrows 
lighter. We could not understand her words, nor 
could she understand ours, but we understood her 
tears, which flowed freelv for us." 




CHAPTER XXIX. 

THE OUTCOME OF THESE MASSACRES. 

The late Armenian massacres, far from being a 
local or temporary and accidental event, have their 
deeper and wider effects, that touch the universal 
interests of the world, and especially of the Christian 
church; We are very anxious to bring the subject 
before our readers as the subject of their own interest, 
from the following point of view : 

1. Islam is a Destructive Power, Admitting some 
good principles disclosed in the Koran, be it borrowed 
or original ; admitting some past service of the Arabs 
in acting as birds to carry the seeds of Greek phil- 
osophy to other parts of the world; admitting its 
temporary effect upon the surrounding heathen tribes, 
in extending the idea of one God (though very 
erroneous compared with the evangelical idea of 
divinity), yet, as a whole, its influence has been 
detrimental and injurious to progress and Christianity. 

Besides, Islam is not a dead power. Under the 
hypocritic appearance of humanity, and the imitative 
mockery of civilization of Islam, still lies the same 
venomous dragon of the early ages— to ruin the 
vitality of the Christian church; and whenever it 
finds an opportunity for its deadly work, it is eager 
and able to act. The great Queen of England may 
feel herself happy and proud for the millions of her 

215 



2L6 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

Mohametan subjects — as a little girl would feel for 
some pretty small eggs of snakes. May the Lord 
grant that she may see her mistake before the season 
of the ripening of iniquity. It is not necessary to be 
a prophet for the prediction of a near future outbreak 
of a united Islam against a divided Christianity. The 
Mohametans themselves are conscious that their end 
is approaching nigh, and that a great and last conflict 
will occur between themselves and the "giaour" 
powers of the world before Islam is driven to its 
former source. They say, "Sham (Damascus as the 
capital of Islamic regions) was the first, and Sham 
will also be the last." Islam is praying daily for this 
final conflict. 

The unwise policy of Christendom is to give them 
time and opportunity to carry forward their long- 
cherished ambition. The Sultan of Turkey has craft- 
iness and advisers enough to devise plots against 
"the giaours" who are trying to seize his alienee 
against the brother nation. In the history of Islam 
there has been no more proper time to score a victory 
upon the Christian world. Egypt and other African 
territories, India and Afghanistan, Persia and Turkey, 
all Mohametan countries — and all offended by the 
policy of England — are finding good help in the anti- 
British union of Russia and France and unwise co- 
operation of the hot-headed German Emperor, to rise 
against England and to throw off her yoke; what 
then? Just what would be the destiny of a lion- 
keeper when the beast became excited and let loose? 
This is not a political dream, but a fearful reality, 



THE OUTCOME OF THESE MASSACRES. 217 

the pains of which is already begun in the "Houses 
of England." 

2. England's Influence on the Eastern Question is 
Decreased. There was a time when the English 
Ambassador was the highest authority in Constanti- 
nople, and the English papers governed the destiny 
of the Eastern question. Two years ago British 
warships could enforce the Dardanelles and command 
before the walls of Bosphorus. The coward " Sov- 
erign of Turkey " was constantly watching the hori- 
zon with his field-glasses to see the smoky trace of 
the " Ingilis " ironclads. The crisis has passed, the 
British vessels were ordered back from the mouth of 
the Dardanelles. That was the decisive victory that 
Russia gained over England, without firing a single 
gun. Even in the interior the common people, who 
know nothing about the geography and history of 
England, began to speak against her as the "Cahbe 
Ingilis" (Treacherous English), and to jeer at the 
Queen and her Prime Minister. The present favorite 
of the country is Russia, once "the Blind Mosgof, 
the Black Infidel." 

In the arena of Eastern question Russia organized 
the play, Turkey acted, Armenia suffered and England 
lost. The writer is not of the opinion that it is too 
late for England, though far more difficult than ever, 
to rush into the field and save the present and future 
generations from the calamity which will follow the 
unnatural union of Turkish Mohametanism and Rus- 
sian orthodoxism. 



218 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

The loss of the English Government means the loss 
of the Anglo-Saxon influence, something far more 
preferable than the selfish and avaricious policy of the 
government, or rather of the millionaires, who, having 
credited treasures to Turkey, do not want to lose their 
interest, even if it costs the blood of the Armenian, 
or any other nation. The loss of the Anglo-Saxon 
influence means the loss of Christian civilization. 
Russia, with her despotic policy of the Middle Ages, 
will be too glad to grasp the staff of the church 
universal and drive the nations back to the dark 
centuries. 

3. Christianity is Passing a Test. This is the 
most delicate and inevitable phase of the question, 
and worthy to be considered. What have the Christian 
nations of the world done to save those who have 
suffered because of their Christianity ; and what are 
they going to do to-day to better their condition, 
which is more dangerous and deplorable now than 
ever? Experience of the last Greek war encouraged 
the Turk in his bloodshed and brutality, and discour- 
aged the Christian element of the country, especially 
the Armenians who, living largely in the interior, have 
little connection with the surrounding countries. 
" Well, it is the business of the governments to act," 
is the answer of Christian people and ministry. If so, 
then what is the mission of the church? What has 
been the influence of the Christian church upon the 
governments ? 

What can the Armenians think about their pow- 
erful and inactive fellow Christians? What can 



THE OUTCOME OF THESE MASSACRES. 219 

the Armenian ministers tell to their smitten and 
scattered flock when they inquire about the cause of 
their long neglect? What would you think if you 
had fallen into the hands of a wolf, and seen your 
older and stronger brothers stand by with folded 
arms and watch your agonies in cold blood? 

The financial relief was necessary and exceedingly 
helpful in its time ; but who does not know that the 
Armenian needs something more and something 
different? If the little bread given by a few Chris- 
tians is taken as the full satisfaction in the con- 
science of Christendom, we are regretfully obliged to 
disturb the tranquility of that conscience, and solemn- 
ly declare before God and men that Armenia needs 
more than a morsel of bread. What greater need has 
ever been shown to the Church of Christ to supply? 
What more sacred cause was ever presented to the 
spiritual soldiers of the heavenly kingdom to pray and 
to fight for? 

Going one step further, what are the Mohametans 
thinking about the sincerity of Christian fellowship, 
and about the essence of Christian religion? Many 
Turks were heard to cry, even at the moment of their 
most bloody deeds, "Now! where is your Christos? 
Let him come and take you out of our hands ! ' ' and 
the helpless victims groaned in their souls and said 
"My God ! why hast Thou forgotten me? ' This is 
something that the enemies of Christianity would 
gladly grasp and use it against Christianity. This is 
something that true and zealous Christians, the advo- 
cates and protectors of our holy doctrines, must take 



220 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 

into consideration, and act according to their responsi- 
bility; knowing that God will never do His part if 
human agents fail in their parts. 

4. The Most Remarkable Outcome of these mas- 
sacres is the manifestation of Christian life in the 
old Armenian church. Until recent times the 
majority of the civilized people had a vague idea of 
this Eastern nation. The last massacres taught 
the world about the faith and perseverance of that 
ancient Christian church. During the fiendish and 
wholesale slaughter of a few months 100,000 strong 
and noble men gave their lives for the sake of 
humanity and religion ; though they knew perfectly 
well that by a single repetition of the short Moham- 
etan creed they could be reckoned "Believers," and 
the law of Koran would protect them from every 
harm. The majority of the killed were offered the 
choice of Islam or the sword ; even some were urged 
by their Mohametan friends and neighbors simply to 
repeat that one word and be saved. But they were 
not willing to do this. Not a single Gregorian priest 
among the eighty-four that were killed with most 
torturous deaths was willing to be an evil example 
before their flocks, who were waiting to follow his 
footsteps. Twenty-one Protestant ministers chose a 
martyr's destiny rather than a Mohametan name, some 
of them leaving their motherless children behind 
them. Catholic ministers were dismembered and 
tortured to death, still clinging to the faith of the 
cross. A poor, good man was seized by the mob 
and brought out of his shop upon the street to be 



THE OUTCOME OF THESE MASSACRES. 221 

butchered like a sheep. The Turkish neighbors tried 
to persuade him to accept Islam and be saved. "You 
are a harmless, meek man ; we will take you from the 
mob if you will only say that you accept Islam, and 
afterwards you can pursue your Christian life." He 
asked two minutes to think. It was granted as an 
exceptional favor. He at once knelt down upon the 
cold stone to use these two last minutes in communion 
with his beloved Savior, and then put his head under 
the bloody axe, saying : " I cannot deny my beloved 
Jesus." While he was struggling in his blood his 
wife was killed at home, and four little children were 
left orphans. The only son of a widow was killed 
and the headless body was brought home after three 
days by a few neighboring friends; and, when the 
mother learned that her son w T as slain because he 
would not deny his Lord, she knelt beside him and 
kissed his blood-stained hand, and said, with flowing 
tears: " Rather so, my beloved son, than to see you 
deny our blessed Jesus! ' "Blessed are the dead 
who die in the Lord." 

Following is the English translation of an Armenian 
mother's letter to her son in the United States: 

"My Dear Son: Our silence could not be pre- 
vented. We live and die clinging to the cross. 
Thank God for your safety. Read Psalm seventy- 
nine and know of us. Pray for us." 



222 ISLAM, TURKEY AND ARMENIA. 



ARMENIA. 



t 4 A RMENIA, Armenia ! 
**■ Will nations heed thy cry, 

Or must thou feel the Moslem's steel 
Till all thy people die? 

Thy land that once held Eden, 

Where Adam went to dwell, 
The savage Turk by fearful work 

Hath made it now a hell. 

Where Noah's mighty mountain 

Uplifts its ancient head, 
And views a plain piled high with slain, 

Armenia's martyred dead ! 

Where maidens, Christian maidens, 

Knelt down to fiendish Kurds, 
And on the air they breathed a prayer 

We dare not frame in words. 

A prayer that even a savage 

Might listen to with pain, 
As daughters fair with bosoms bare 

Begged simply to be slain. 

To woman's prayer was answered 

A demon's mocking laugh, 
And then the knife that ended life 

Seemed kinder far by half. 

O chivalry of England ! 

Of Europe ! Of the earth ! 
Your swords should flash, your cannons crash, 

For human right and worth. 

Ought Turkish tigers shepherd 

This primal Christian fold, 
And boast of crimes unnumbered times, 

Too awful to be told? 

Wake, lion-hearted Richard ! 

Shake off the clingiDg sod ! 
And once again lead Christian men 

Against these foes of God," 



INDEX. 

Chapter I. Page 

The Beginning of Islam or Mohametanism 11 

Chapter II. 
The Koran, the Sacred Book of Islam 17 

Chapter III. 
Non-Mohametans in the Sight of Islam 31 

Chapter IV. 
The Five Religious Duties of Islam 39 

Chapter V. 
The Mohametan Theological Schools 47 

Chapter VI. 
Dervishes and Mufties the Two Religious Classes 56 

Chapter VII. 
Geographical and Historical Sketches of Armenia 62 

Chapter VIII. 
The Armenian Church 68 

Chapter IX. 
Religious Persecutions of the Past Ages 75 

Chapter X. 
General Characteristics of the Armenian Race 81 

Chapter XI. 
Armenian Customs in Marriage 87 

Chapter XII. 
The Armenians' Condition in the First Half of This Century 93 

Chapter XIII. 
Sketch of Turkish History 100 

Chapter XIV. 
The Capture of Constantinople 107 



INDEX.— Con. 

Chapter XV. Pag? 

The Greatest Extent of the Turkish Empire 113 

Chapter XVI. 
Turkish Government and the Christian Subjects 120 

Chapter XVII. 
Turkish Taxes and the Mode of Collecting 127 

Chapter XVIII. 
The Abuses in Turkish Rule 133 

Chapter XIX. 
The Turkish Censorship : 140 

Chapter XX. 
Turkish Harem 146 

Chapter XXI. 
Turkish Common Schools 155 

Chapter XXII. 
Turkish Higher Schools - 162 

Chapter XXIII. 
Turkish Life and Customs 168 

Chapter XXIV. 
The Causes that Led to the Armenian Massacres 178 

Chapter XXV. 

Preliminary Steps Taken by the Turkish Government 

Towards the Armenian Massacres 185 

Chapter XXVI. 
So-called Armenian Revolutionists 193 

Chapter XXVII. 
The Armenian Massacres 198 

Chapter XXVIII. 
Christendom's Attitude Towards the Armenian Massacres. 210 

Chapter XXIX. 
The Outcome of these Massacres .--_ — 215 



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